I reach for them

beads that cascade through my fingers.

Descending so gently

that merely the grasp of their casing

leaves me

wiser,

stronger,

inching nearer to a reflection I hope to see,

a me I yearn to be.

Realizing—

that each day their splendor greets my hands

I hold truth

— Cheryl Sommese 

Eye On Life Poetry Contest 2010-2011 Honorable Mention