The footprints in the sand poem is a short Christian poem about a dream of walking on a beach with the Lord. Who wrote it is still disputed. Mary Stevenson said she wrote it in 1936 at age fourteen, but her name did not travel with it for decades.
That gap explains why the verses show up on plaques, greeting cards, and funeral programs around the world, often credited to “Author Unknown” or to someone else entirely.
Most readers just want the exact words, and to know which version they are looking at. Below you will find the text, its meaning, each major authorship claim with its date, and tips for using it.
The Full Text of Footprints in the Sand
Footprints in the Sand is a Christian inspirational poem about trusting the Lord during life’s hardest moments. Its central message is that when only one set of footprints appears, the Lord is carrying the speaker through suffering.
The version below is the one linked to Mary Stevenson, which opens with “One night I dreamed.”
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
othertimes therewereone set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,“
You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?”
What the Poem Actually Means
The poem focuses on the belief that the Lord remains present during the hardest moments, even when that presence is not immediately visible.
- Two Sets of Footprints: The two sets represent the times when the speaker feels the Lord walking beside them through life.
- One Set During Hard Times: The speaker notices only one set during periods of anguish, sorrow, and defeat, and feels abandoned.
- The Lord’s Explanation: The Lord explains that the single set of footprints appears because He was carrying the speaker through those difficult moments.
- The Central Message: Feeling alone does not mean the Lord has left during times of suffering.
Readers moved by this idea may also find comfort in God Saw You Getting Tired, another Christian poem about rest after suffering.
Mary Stevenson: The Most Widely Credited Claimant
Mary Stevenson said she wrote the poem in 1936, when she was fourteen. She gave handwritten copies to friends in times of crisis or grief, and the verses circulated without her name for decades.
In the 1980s, she reportedly found an old handwritten copy while moving and filed a copyright claim in 1984.
According to her son, a forensic document examiner later found the handwritten copy to be at least 50 years old. That test dates the paper. It supports her timeline, but it cannot prove she wrote the words first.
Stevenson died in 1999, and her son, Basil Zangare, continued advocating for her authorship claim. Other writers later made competing claims, leading to a federal court dispute.
Other Writers Who Have Claimed Authorship
Several people have claimed to be the original author of Footprints in the Sand, creating a long-running dispute over who wrote it first. Poetry Foundation writer Rachel Aviv profiled four of them in 2008, and The Washington Post reported that at least a dozen people had claimed credit.
- Margaret Fishback Powers and the 1964 Version: Margaret Fishback Powers says she wrote her version in October 1964 during a Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. She published her account, Footprints: The True Story Behind the Poem That Inspired Millions, with HarperCollins in 1993, and says she holds a registered trademark on the name “Footprints.”
- Carolyn Carty and Her 1963 Claim: Carolyn Carty says she wrote the poem in 1963, when she was six, based partly on an earlier piece by her great-great-aunt, a Sunday school teacher. She has also cited Henry Wadsworth Longfellow as an influence, although his phrase “footprints on the sands of time” comes from A Psalm of Life, a separate 1838 poem about legacy.
- Burrell Webb and Other Claims: Burrell Webb, a retired landscape artist in Oregon, says he wrote the lines in 1958 and published them anonymously in a local newspaper. He has also said he paid for his own polygraph test to support his claim. The number of competing claims reflects how widely the poem circulated without a clear author credit.
- The 2008 Federal Lawsuit: On May 12, 2008, Basil Zangare sued Margaret Fishback Powers and Carolyn Carty in federal court on Long Island. He argued that his mother deserved credit and profits connected to the poem and sought millions of dollars in damages.
- What the Lawsuit Resolved: The lawsuit brought wider attention to the authorship dispute, but we could not find a published ruling that names one definitive author. The poem remains in circulation under different names and as “Author Unknown.”
Who Wrote the Footprints in the Sand Poem? A Timeline of Claims
The footprints in the sand poem have no author confirmed by a court or a publisher’s record. This timeline shows when each claim dates itself and when key events happened.
| Year | What Happened |
| 1936 | Mary Stevenson says she wrote the poem at age fourteen |
| 1958 | Burrell Webb says he wrote it and printed it anonymously |
| 1963 | Carolyn Carty says she wrote it at age six |
| 1964 | Margaret Fishback Powers says she wrote it in October |
| 1981 | Ronald Reagan quotes a version at the National Prayer Breakfast |
| 1984 | Stevenson files a copyright claim |
| 1993 | Powers publishes her account with HarperCollins |
| 2008 | Zangare files a federal lawsuit against Powers and Carty |
Each claimed writing date rests on the claimant’s own account, so no version has a proven first-printing date.
Where the Poem Has Appeared Since
The poem has moved beyond the page, appearing in music, memorial settings, greeting cards, and everyday keepsakes. Its message of comfort has helped it reach a wide audience.
- Songs Inspired by the Poem: British singer Leona Lewis recorded “Footprints in the Sand” for her debut album Spirit, and the song became the official theme of the BBC’s Sport Relief in 2008. The song drew on the poem’s central image of being carried through difficult times and introduced the theme to a wider music audience.
- Funeral and Bereavement Use: The poem is commonly used in funerals, memorial services, bereavement literature, and funeral programs. Its message of comfort makes it suitable for readings during services, and it pairs well with I Said a Prayer for You Today, which offers the same quiet reassurance.
- Cards, Merchandise, and Anonymous Spread: The Footprints poem has appeared on greeting cards, wall plaques, mugs, calendars, and other keepsakes, often without an author’s name. This widespread anonymous circulation made it harder to trace the poem’s origins and contributed to the later authorship dispute.
How to Use This Poem Today
For personal, non-commercial use, such as sympathy cards or funeral programs, check the copyright status of the specific version you plan to use. In 2008, Stevenson’s son said he had allowed her version on tombstones and yearbooks.
For publishing, selling, or commercial use, permission may be required because authorship and copyright claims remain disputed. If you credit an author, avoid presenting disputed authorship as settled fact.
For the original wording, use a reliable source connected to the specific version you want, rather than forwarded emails or old printed cards, which may contain altered or combined versions of the poem.
Why the Footprints in the Sand Poem Still Comforts Readers
The footprints in the sand poem found its way into homes and funeral programs long before anyone agreed on who wrote it, and that mystery is part of why it still gets shared today.
Three women, a lawsuit, and one lasting image of being carried through hard times explain why this poem outlived the fight over its authorship.
If you are choosing words for a service or card, our sympathy poems include options with a clear author. Which version did you grow up with, and does it still bring you comfort now?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Footprints in the Sand Poem Based on a Bible Verse?
No, there is no footprints in the sand bible verse. The poem echoes passages such as Deuteronomy 1:31, where the Lord carries His people through the wilderness, and Isaiah 46:4, where God promises to carry His people into old age. The poem itself is a modern devotional work, not scripture.
Is Footprints in the Sand a Prayer or a Poem?
Footprints in the Sand is a poem, written as a short story about a dream. Many people call it the footprints in the sand prayer and read it like one, at bedsides, funerals, and church services, because it speaks directly to the Lord. It does not come from any church liturgy or official prayer book.
Who Legally Owns the Copyright to Footprints in the Sand?
No published court ruling settles it. Mary Stevenson registered a copyright in 1984, and Powers and Carty each filed their own claims for their versions. Because the versions differ in small wording, rights can depend on which text you use, so get permission before publishing or selling it.
Is Footprints in the Sand in the Public Domain?
You should not assume so. A copyright registered in 1984 would still be in force today, and no reliable source shows that any version has entered the public domain. Treat every version as copyrighted, and ask the relevant rights holder before using it commercially.
Why Do Some Versions Say “God” and Others Say “Lord”?
Different versions of the poem use different words. The Stevenson version addresses “the Lord,” while other printed versions name God or Jesus, and the claimants’ texts differ in small phrases. The meaning stays the same: the single set of footprints shows the speaker being carried.
