Foundation Poem by Bill Upton

'Solid as a rock',
Rock-solid,
That's the term for toughness,
The image of superior strength.
Everyone wants to be the 'rock'
For the family,
In a relationship,
In dangerous times.
It implies 'hard to break',
'Deliberate',
'Unbeatable',
'Courageous',
'Impenetrable',
'Stable, immovable'.
We see the majestic mountains
Built by powerful rock formations,
Pillar upon pillar,
Created from the beginning of time,
Seen as a metaphor for life-
Ageless wonders,
Broad shoulders,
Fortresses,
Always reaching toward the heavens.
'Rock'.

In life, however, there is a weathering process
Through physical and chemical breakdowns,
Rock eventually becomes sand,
Externally unrecognizable from a prior shape,
Reduced to particles along beaches,
Gravel mixed into roads.
The purpose of rocks changes with age.
Once they were forts of protection.
Eventually they become foundations upon which we navigate through life.

People are like rocks.
When they're young, they protect,
They are strong,
They stand upright and show strength for their loved ones.
They defy the world and back down from nothing.
As they age, they become like the sand.
Their musculoskeletal structure gets rearranged.
They become paths and roads and informational highways
For those who came after.

Rocks inevitably morph into sand.
It's just a different arrangement of molecules
Adjusted to serve another mission.
Don't lose sight.
Although your elders once were there to protect you,
They are now the foundation to direct you.
The most important thing to remember is...
The sand is still the rock.