The Patient Sea and the Mighty Mountain

The sea came before the mountain and commanded, “Bow out, you need not fight this fight.”

The mountain laughed and mockingly spat, “With what can you hope to defeat my magnificent might?”

And so the sea began pounding against the mountain, wave after wave.

The mountain only mocked and laughed, unaware it was to be its grave.

After a year, the mountain still only looked down with an amused smile.

“I respect your persistence, but it is all futile!”

The mountain hurled insults and taunts, but the sea was not deterred;

Ignorance, the sea counted what it heard.

After a decade, the mountain still smiled, but worry was hid in its heart.

Surely, the sea had not advanced from the shore on which it had start?

“What can you hope to achieve, silly sea?”

In the roar of the waves was the response, “That you will not stand before me.”

Thirty years later, the mountain was a rock of fear.

But stoic outwardly, it tauntingly jeered, “The might of my slopes, you cannot dream to clear!”

The sea dismissed the mountain’s remarks of denial

And replied, “Achievement merely takes awhile.

It was only with time you rose, it will only be with time you fall,

It was only by inches you climbed, it will only be by inches forward I crawl.”

Fifty years later, the mountain stood in increasing discomfort,

As it had watched some of its strongest rocks be crushed to dirt.

Surely not even I could be humbled with time?

But it was appearing so, as through the outer layer of rock, the sea had exposed lime.

Seventy five years later, the mountain was coming to terms with its inevitable defeat.

The mountain said respectfully, “Sea, my slopes you have with great patience and persistence beat.”

The sea smiled and continued to charge against the walls of its foe

And said, “Did I not tell you with time it would be so?”

The mountain stayed its fight, but was at war in vain;

The land, the mountain would not longer have reign.

One hundred years later, the mountain stood no more, crushed under the sea;

The land had receded before the water, the water had claimed victory.

The patient had defeated the arrogant, the persistent had defeated the stubborn.

By wisdom was ignorance overturned.

What greatness was achieved without time?

Patience, persistence and wisdom, you will find,

Are required to achieve the dreams of great;

Ignorance, arrogance and impatience lead to an unfortunate fate.

Dream large, have unrealistic goals, let not the mountain dictate what you can and cannot do.

But be prepared for what you will have to go through.

Great dreams and goals require great persistence, great patience and a great term,

But even the sea knew with such, accomplishment it could earn.

Persistence is key, to never give up, to never let go;

With such, you will never know too great a foe.

Patience is imperative, there will be grief, hardship and mountains to bear down;

But remember it took many years for the sea to make the mountain even frown.

The next time you feel discouraged, your dreams and goals seem like something you cannot,

Ask yourself, ‘What if the sea had not fought?’