DAY 24 –A Pre-Election Poem

In this poem titled “Finding My Way”, written in November of 2005, I was trying to sort out what to do with my ever-present tensions and fears about humans harming humans and humans harming our environment. I was looking for something other than anger or hopelessness, and something to calm my gut, slow my heart, deepen my breath, and tell my shoulders to relax and take a break.

*****

my blood boils
we NEED to change our direction
THEY don’t GET it
my blood boils with the heat of nowhere to go with my vision of the disaster we move towards

I could cool off, settle down, if there were breaks between disasters
but, it’s wave after wave

seeking refuge from the heat, this burning
I turn back to myself
asking myself
do YOU ... GET ... everything?
is YOUR vision for our safe and sustainable future crystal clear?
would the implementation of YOUR view manifest maximal comfort and joy for the people of this earth?

temperature dropping
recognizing that the heat of self-imagined visionaries is a flame that burns indiscriminately
improbable that “I” am omniscient
of course... I too have blindspots and blind-fields

the fire will never go out
for I will always feel for the safety of all
the fire will not go out
but instead of conflagration, my choice will be the gentle warmth of compassion for others and for myself

humanity lives and travels as a group
nourished by compassion,

we make our way awkwardly through time

*****

Five years have passed. It is now October of 2010, and I’m still on that journey, awkwardly but happily “Finding My Way”.