I stand at the edge of the great pond, at dusk, br calmed by the serenity of all that I see. br I skim the smooth stone across the water, br watching it bounce along the surface until, br it's momentum spent, the stone sinks, gone forever. br I admire the undulating, symmetrical ripples br that spread out across the surface of the pond, br watching them until they are lost in the fading light. br For a brief moment in time br our separate worlds intersected, br we became friends. br And then the stone sinks. br But the ripples that you have created in my life br continue on, long after you have gone. br Not bounded by the twilight, but cherished, br kept safe, hidden in the heart.