Some Existential Thoughts

Image by Adrian Campfield from Pixabay


Being a child of the universe
and needing a broader perspective,
I walked to the beach and laid down on the sand.
I listened to the waves and the gulls
and looked up at the sky.

I noticed my breathing was shallow
so I followed my breath all the way down
to my belly and back.

I felt the weight I was carrying
on my shoulders.
They felt as though they had been
beaten down.

I allowed the heaviness
to sink my shoulders deeper
into the sand.

My body was grateful for the support.

I wondered if my mind might 
follow my body and release 
the heaviness of my thoughts.

These feel to be the heavier weight.
And where would I put them 
if I were to let them go?

I must be careful not to just 
close the door on them.

I know what happens when you try to do that.

You end up pushing against the door
with all your might
while they push back.

A course correction, 
that's what I need.
Simply being here. Now.

Allowing the thoughts to
flow on by
like clouds in the sky.

So this becomes my practice.
Lying down on the sand.
And maybe, just maybe,
I can keep it going.

When I get up and walk,
When I talk to people,
When I read the news,
When I come to understand
the danger we are in
and the hellish direction we are heading.

We are caught in a time where
we can't rely on past expectations,
a time where it seems impossible to
envision what comes next.

We must trust in our capacity
to respond and meet the moment,
knowing that if one falters there are others
who will step in.

We can be like the birds who
return in the spring, flying in formation,
with one bird in the lead.

When the one leading gets tired,
another moves up to take its place.

We are all of us needed right now.