I have a pebble on my desk
from a holiday years ago,
if anyone asks, I tell them
it\'s a paper-weight,
a small souvenir,
but when the job
and life in general
gets on top of me
and I feel the dull ache
of stress and tension
gripping my shoulders
and crushing the
back of my neck
I pick up that pebble
closing my fingers
gently but tightly
around it
and breath slowly
until I can
hear the crash of the waves
and feel the sun on my face.