The Ocean

I fear the ocean
and treat with respect
It is like a great beast
breathing slowly
with every tide
Somedays it sleeps
peacefully lapping the shore
and somedays it rages
sweeping whole cities
into its watery depths
It has its beauty
its peaceful waves
and tranquil shores
But it is equally frightful
its deadly currents 
and stormy waves
When I walk beside it
it laps gently 
against my ankles 
and I retreat
from the mild surf
giggling
but keeping in mind
that this docile facade
could change in a second
with the turning of the earth
and the pull of the moon
And so I fear it
and treat it with respect