Phone rings.
Dinner cooking,
Time-clock rushing towards a deadline only I have made.
Dinner. Meal. Dishes. Meeting…
Imposing structure on the eternal
Chopping life into little bits of hours and minutes,
Seconds off the clock of my life
As I hurtle heedless on towards my death
When the eternal will claim me again
Meeting this evening, things to do
Known for years, yes,
And older too in human terms.
Your years some twenty more than mine.
Or is it more?
Old enough to be a little frailer
Than when first I met you in your prime.
Life buffets you now,
As you watch the beloved
Mind and body moving relentlessly
Away from vigour and
On towards death.
Your words are bright and strong –
But your voice gives you away. A little strained.
He’s had a bad day and you need
To talk. And yes now is
Fine. Yes really.
Give me a moment to turn the element
Down.
Stop the timer Jasmine.
Take a breath and be here.
Now. Listen.
Take a breath Jasmine. Close your eyes, stop
Watching that clock, and listen.
Come present now.
Let it be fine,
Yes. Really fine.
Let mind still and come into rhythm
With your gently beating heart.
An invitation to ac-knowledge [1] you.
Opening a heart and surrendering my illusion of control
Of time and events. Let go of the outcome.
Be here and now.
Old friend.
Be.
Let me ac-knowledge you.
Open towards in loving presence.
Open to your experience,
Call my restless mind to heel and heal
And drop into my heart.
Breathe. Relax. Come present
I ac-knowledge you.
I open towards –
Let myself feel you. Even for a moment.
It will heal, I’ve known it before.
Heart to heart and energy to energy.
Let me be calm,
Calm enough to feel you.
Dwell and abide Jasmine, In your inner self.
Allow the essential me to touch the essential you.
It’s not my words you need to hear
It’s my heart you need to feel.
A wordless reassurance and ac-knowledgement of
Your heart’s ache.
You talk yourself through to a brighter place
- And it didn’t take long really, Jasmine.
Dinner, meal, dishes, all done still and time to leave.
It can be a ‘both-and’ world when I choose.
The moment and the grace to open and be still.
It was here – and yes I took it. - this time.
Looking back later that evening from meeting
Attended and on to bed, I realise
Afresh the grace of moment is all I have
The opportunity to be fully here. To live this life
As fully as I can – and to ac-knowledge
What comes across my path –
with open heart
And still mind.
A grace given and received.
Thank you for your call.
[1] I’ve been reflecting on ‘acknowledgement’ in the old use of ‘know’ to mean a deep heart awareness and intimacy – and the prefix ‘a(d) – towards.
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