Not as it appears

All my strength is gone and am grappling for some light
The dog next door is barking, he cries all day and night
I am moved within me for him, but am also losing sleep
Am needing extra energy for all the hours I must keep

I have to move from that thought unto a better one
But loss of sleep is telling me drowsiness has begun
How to think of beauty when the mind is tired and sore
I am going to the lake front and rest upon its   shore.

I see the tiny sea shells sprinkled across the sand
So i stoop to pick one up and hold it in my hand
It is beautiful on the outside but there's no life inside
Appearances can be deceiving, oh how much we can hide.

As I continue pondering, I  look across the lake
The wind is blowing harshly, the trees look like they'll break
But they remain planted, though they nearly touch the ground.
Strong souls are,like those trees,  proven when hardship is found.

From this place that I ponder peace is filling the air
Though things are being shaken and tossed here and there
Its not the absence of storms that calms my soul within
But knowing that in my weakness life's lessons can begin