Denote: Arising

More running around,
More returning purchases;
The post-Yule hangover continues
But there’s so much energy in it!

Then, amidst the hullabaloo,
I pause to metta
And breathe and know
All that I’m doing,

The body’s aches
And inner processes,
The rushing mind
Teeming with thoughts,

But, oh what a relief
To just sit for a while
And let the river
Flow around and through,

The lunging stream
Grows quiet briefly
Before the momentum
Of busyness catches up

And the mind sizzles
And crackles, sparks flying,
Flames arising
And floating upon the watery surface;

I have barely sat ten minutes
When I feel the urge
To fly up from the chair
And do some more!

It feels so wonderful,
After so many days of idleness
Due to recurrent and chronic illness
To finally accomplish something useful,
That I don’t regret one single minute!

Demonstrative: Fizzing

Wow! What a blizzard of a day,
Whiz bang! Running around
Barely time to catch breaths,
Let alone count them!

Don’t know what
It will amount to
In the long term,
Still plenty to learn,

What else can I say?
Just when I thought
I had time to rest
More work came to call,

And I was happy to have it
But now I’m still at it,
Adding to my load
As I jog down the road,

Towards what? I wonder.
This next day I’ll be tested
Will be just as busy
And no further ahead,

My inbox is always full,
My calendar is never empty,
The time may pass slowly
Or quickly, but on it goes;

There’s so much going on
Besides these words, I know,
And I'm so tired and keyed up
From this endless go;

It’s difficult to stop
When the energy’s so hot
And with Fibromyalgia I never know
When I’ll be sidelined or for how long,
So I feel that I have to keep going.

Demonstration: Mind Wander

Spider crawls unsteadily,
Slipping and sliding across the wall,
Front legs extended like climbing poles,
Tentatively probing each step,
Falling but getting caught by its silken safety line,

And as I watch the tiny arachnid’s struggle,
I can’t think what’s its aim
And pause to ponder, ‘what keeps it going
In the absence of fame or blame?’

Presently, the spider disappears
Inside the crack between door frame and wall,
Perhaps to sleep ‘til spring comes to call;
But, I press on, resuming my work,

Striving late into the night
Before I take a break,
As many concerns keep me awake,
A myriad of decisions await,

But certainly nothing as serious
As the spider’s choices
About safe spaces to rest
Or suspend and set its insect net;

And so, breathing in a fresh breath
And exhaling deeply,
I don’t feel sleepy
But full of energy,

The agitation seethes,
Accompanied by muscle tension;
I try to release,
Tell the body to relax,

Let go into tingling, burning and churning,
Experiencing completely the restless sea,
Then take a deep breath
And return to my tasks.