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A SPECK OF SAND
(c) Vickey Stamps 5/5/13)
As far as any speck of sand might be seen to be, this one held no special bit of beauty. It would however need to be said it was not without as much or more intelligence, then the average bit of sand might contain. It had lived much of its sand life upon a land filled with war. Its small sand ears had heard more violence, and eyes, seen more sorrow, then anything should. Upon the great winds, and across the great seas, it had been blown. At last it had been dropped upon the vast land in which it stayed to raise its family, and that family its own. In the time of sleep for such as sand, it dreamed of somehow leaving this place. It was not a place of happiness, or at least up to this point in time, had not shown itself to be such.
As time passed, soldiers came. They were not of this country, for their words were different, but seemed somewhat familiar. The bit of sand gathered its family about it, every chance it had, for it seemed as if there was something to be learned, and perhaps something to be remembered. As it grew acquainted with the soldiers and their ways, and in the middle of the continued violence that lay heavy upon this place, the speck of sand came to recall that it also, had come from America, just as these warriors had. Some had a dialect different then what it remembered, but still strength and pride rang out in the speech passing from one to another. The sand wished it could ask questions, but knew that would never be. It felt somehow safer to be among these men, and sat quietly and with much respect, as they spoke of their country, of home.....and of family. It was a good time to be a speck of sand.
From time to time Helicopters would come, and dislodge them from their fellow sand populations. It was for soldiers wounded, who with utmost speed must be taken for further care. The speck of sand knew it was the way of things, and when the other sands had settled down once more, would gather its family about. It loved being with the soldiers.
Much time was spent learning the lives of these men, finding out that some would get to go home. What a sad and happy time that was, for the soldiers had become like brothers, and it bruised their hearts to part one from the other. Now being in the right place at just the right time, the speck of sand learned of a soldier going home. Maybe....just maybe....the speck of sand could take those who wished to go, that they might leave this place with that person. It would find a way. it did not have much time. It gathered all the family that would listen, and told them the plan. They would gather upon the part of the heavy boots the soldier wore, and hide close to the laces and some upon the surface of the boots, if the laces would no hold them all. The family that had agreed to leave, began to gather by the man. They waited for a little bit of air current to pick them up and one by one, embedded themselves among the laces of the soldiers shoes, clinging as tightly as their sand legs would allow. It was almost time. The plane came, and those selected to go home boarded it. "Ah, freedom. We have freedom at last." they spoke as one.
The speck of sand was delighted to find the man lived in an area, that had a fine desert, this one with bits of cactus laying all around; cactus that would hold liquid within some, others that would produce flowers, and some whose large and rounded leaves would be able to be cooked as a vegetable. The days would be hot often, and the nights cool. It had a beauty of its own. The sand upon the land was of a friendlier nature, than the land they had fled from, and they learned even more of this wonderful land where they now would live. All places here were not the same, but all knew freedom. Flags waved everywhere and people gathered to sing of their country...to sing of America the Beautiful. The speck of sand and its family was happy to be there, proud to be there. The speck of sand knew this had surely been its home those many years that were now long gone. It puffed its sand chest out as much and as often as it could, and in its sand voice sang proudly " O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea !

LIFE WAS GOOD