The Little Wave - A Children's Story

In the heart of the ocean, where breezes would play,

A little wave wiggled and danced all day.

It bubbled and bounced with a giggle and cheer—

Until it saw others come rolling near.

“That wave is taller! That one’s so bright!

Why don’t I shimmer? Why can’t I reach height?”

It sloshed with a frown, feeling plain and small,

Forgetting that rising is part of the fall.

A seagull flew by on a breeze through the blue.

She laughed, “Oh, sweet wave, you’re just perfect as you!

All waves are different, but part of the same dance—

Tall ones and short ones all sway and all prance.”

The little wave blinked, but the doubt still remained.

“I don’t have their sparkle. I feel kind of… plain.”

Later that day, as the sun slipped down low,

It saw a few waves with a joyful glow.

They swirled and they twirled in a bubbly game—

The little wave sighed, “I don’t fit the same.”

Then up popped a dolphin with a splash and a grin:

“You’re part of the sea, both outside and in.

You seem like a wave, floating off on your own,

But really, dear friend, you’re never alone.”

The wave felt a hush, like a whispering song,

Could it be it had belonged all along?

But then came the moment that filled it with fear—

The shore was ahead, it was terribly near!

It tumbled and trembled and wobbled with dread,

A sea full of worries rushed into its head:

“What happens to waves when they crash on the land?

Do they vanish forever, like castles of sand?

Do they flatten and fade with a sigh and a hiss?

Do they fall into nothing—just cease to exist?”

“Or worse—do they dry into salt on the shore?

Will I never be me, not evermore?

What if I break into bubbles and foam,

And never again find my way home?”

It shivered and shook in a watery swirl—

A frightened, confused little ocean curl.

Then out of the stillness, a voice soft and slow

Came floating beside it, steady and low:

“You’re not just a wave, though that’s what you see—

You’re part of the ocean, as deep as can be.

Your shape may be changing, but not who you are,

You’re water and wonder, from near and from far.

You’re not made to vanish—you’re made to return.

Even crashing is something you’re meant to unlearn.”

The little wave paused, its fear melting fast.

It was the whole ocean, not just the blast!

It rose with new joy, and sparkled so wide,

And laughed as it flowed with the pull of the tide.