Conducive: Lightening the Load

A whirlwind Saturday:
Grocery shopping,
Vegetable chopping,
Reflection and meditation;

Long on reflection,
Short on meditation;
Decided to slow down
And see what that does,

Because you see,
I had actually given up,
And concluded from this result
That I’d pushed too hard;

A light touch
Certainly feels better;
It’s more respectful,
And compassionate;

I think I will continue,
Easing up on the rudder
And enjoying the view,
Instead of racing.

Where am I going anyway?
There’s no need to press,
No expectations was the place
From which I started this;

Then I got ideas,
And forgot to take it slow,
Which did not help
And may indeed have impeded.

Patience is what’s needed,
That and a willingness
To explore whatever comes forth,
But also, to know enough to stop,
When stormy seas get too rough.

Conditions: The Pleasant in the Unpleasant

I’m really stumped
For what to say;
It’s been like this
Since the commotion today;

Yet, I always manage
To come up with
Some little poem
On what’s afoot.

I was concentrated
Down to my toes
On what I was reading,
When the renovations started,

Then began my steaming,
Until I remembered
A simple practice
Recently reviewed,

Of noticing the unpleasant,
Then enjoying
The tiny quiet interludes
In between.

This plain approach effectively
Blocked the irritation,
Reduced my frustration,
Decreasing my distress.

My ease increased,
Enabling me to relax
Until the demonic din ceased
And the distracters departed.

By then there was
Such relief,
I forgot all else
And simply enjoyed the peace.

Conditioned: Ill Will

Wordless,
Speechless,
I stare
At the page,

Empty of thoughts,
Vacant of purpose
Where to from here?
Cloudy or clear?

Ill will haunts the mind
Like a stray cat
Hunting for mice on which to pounce
In an abandoned barn,

And finding none
Frets about,
Jumping at noises
And lunging at light beams.

Meanwhile, outside
The sun sets,
The glow subsides
Into darkness.

The cat resorts to
Pouncing on
The lengthening shadows
Until it tires of this futile sport.

Frustration sets in,
And the feline yowls
Then listens for
Some answering howl.