A Life of Wonder

The kaleidoscope broke near the lighthouse.
Its colored snow dances everywhere.

My hands transform into the hands of a child
your eyes become the eyes of your parent

why do I become younger and you older,
every time the world falls apart?

On this birdless night I ask you,
“why did you scold?”

Your face betrays your answer.
It’s the face of your mother:
Sharp brows, tight lips, squinting, you reply,
“you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I walk on the rocks, glitter in the air.
You look a the sea.
“Waiting for a wave?” I ask.
“No,” you say.

The kaleidoscopes snow rises with the wind.
“Beautiful.” I say.

For a moment we agree.
-ZJB

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Delaware River Fog, originally uploaded by Bob Jagendorf.

In the morning when the fisherman

climb into their boats like tombs covered in fog

headed into the river,

I too wish to join them there.

Mother says when I am grown

the fog will part for me

and in the great blue waters I will find

more fish than I can carry

In the river all moves slowly

the ripple of the birds landing on the surface

awakens me

but not the fishermen who are still.

I have asked you to join me at the base of this tree

its ancient twists know the enchanted fog

“I am afraid of the tombs floating in the sea,” You tell me.

“But it’s a river, not the sea,” I say.

Tomorrow I will climb into the river

Tomorrow I will hide in the tombs floating through the fog

Tomorrow a fisherman may find me and

not understand this love for you

or the fisherman that grows inside of me.

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“we can call ourselves more human doings than human beings.” – Professor Kabat-Zinn

I’m learning more about mindfulness practice. For me it means being exquisitely attentive to the present without judgement. This practice has many exercises designed to enhance the senses. They range from mindfully eating: more slowly, aware of each bite, its flavor and texture to mindful walking: noticing the breath, the position of your feet as you walk, the experience of moving, the experience of standing still, and when you slow down and when you speed up. These are just a few examples of the practice. Mindfulness has a rich heritage of both Eastern and Western, and they interact beautifully.

This way is mysterious practice to me, and I will endeavor to explore it for the rest of my life. As a famous doctor specializing in mindfulness says above, it’s about learning to “fall awake,” rather than fall asleep.

As I read more and learn more, I like the ideas about being compassionate to yourself and of recognizing differences in being and doing. Doing comes naturally to me. I even pride myself on being able to “get things done.” It’s the being that I am working on and cultivating a capacity to “simply be” without judgement. It’s my intention to share with you key insights I discover along the way. I would love to hear your questions and learn from your experience too.

Xo,
Z
If have felt most mindful when writing poetry. I may continue the practice with that in mind.

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