Etching: Mindfulness Day

Everything’s quieter
As I take a day off,
From running faster and harder
Before returning to the race,

Sitting leisurely
Sipping coffee,
While waiting for oatmeal
Cooking on the stove,

Dressed up with almonds
And an apple sliced up,
With ginger and cinnamon
And skim milk,

Eaten with a spoon
From a large metal bowl
That I then wash
And the counter clean up,

Then brushing my teeth,
Mindfully noticing
What that feels like,
Enjoying the sensations in the mouth,

Combing my hair
And washing my face,
Before settling down
For some mindfulness practice,

Mentally noting
What sensations are present,
What feelings,
What thoughts,

And what it’s like
To be examining,
Experiencing this way
And from this point of view.

Etch: Tuning In

Continuing to spin,
Considering rapidly
What’s on my list
That I may have missed,

Pausing to sit
And feel the energy
In the body,
Fizzing happily,

Moving on
To more work
I have to do
But carrying that experience more lightly,

Filtering it through
The body,
Relaxing into
The activity

But still aware
Of experience
And consciousness
Of what that’s like,

Makes it easier
To stay mindful,
When one takes the time
To sit and check in

And it only takes
A few minutes
To tune in
To what’s on,

To observe carefully
What’s here,
As it appears
And disappears.

Et Cetera: Catching Up

So much
Is going on
That I’ve gotten behind
Once again,

Making up
For all the time
I got ahead
Of myself instead,

Faster and faster
I have to go,
Even though
I’d rather go slowly,

Surrounded by chatter now,
Trying to think,
Hounded by doubts,
About what’s the link,

Where’s the connection
Between practice and now,
When the to-do list is long
And I’m in a rush,

Getting involved
In busy activity,
Forgetting all about
Lightness and levity,

Pursuing my goals
Way to seriously,
Working away
And pushing furiously,

Scrambling to get
Somewhere else,
Then suddenly remembering
To check in with reality.