Here I stand on the 108th parallel,
the bridge between sanity and belief,
a train station situated between the hectic and the inane,
around me stands a group of strangers.
Some of us are good looking,
some are intelligent,
some are both,
all are worthwhile.
Some are talented,
some are prodigies,
some will change the world,
all will succeed and all will fail.
Some are believers,
some are confused,
some will blaze trails,
others looking to them for direction,
all will eventually find their way.
Some will teach from the pulpit,
some from the altar,
and still others from the streets,
all will make a difference in his eyes.
Some of us will live happier ever after,
some will fight depression,
others will struggle with anxiety,
and in truth,
all are loved.
And so here I stand,
on the 108th parallel,
surrounded by friends,
in a place that we may one day forget,
but in the end,
when all is said and done,
the remnants will remain,
although the stitches holding us together are often unseen.
A.P. Beckstead (2014)