You are not the center of the world,
though sometimes it may feel like it,
like a small pebble in a giant pond
that thinks it is the only one
with ripples. But the world keeps turning,
leaving you to wonder how much
of this entire spectacle is about you,
or if, perhaps, the sun rises each day
with no thought of your little problems.
Stand at the window and peer out,
not into the mirror that loves to flatter,
but into the vastness of sky and street,
the trees that know nothing of your fears,
the wind that blows without asking permission,
and the birds that sing as if they have
no agenda other than to be heard.
Think of yourself less-how tiresome,
how clumsy, the effort to take center stage
when there's so much else to notice-
the way the shadows shift with the hour,
the rain tapping like an old friend
who knows exactly what to say.
When you release yourself from the pressure
of always thinking about yourself,
you can listen to the world
with the kind of attention
you might offer a letter
from someone you have not seen in years.
The world moves along
with its own rhythm,
as you become just another page
in its story-one that might easily be forgotten,
but you'll be too busy enjoying
the story to mind.
YOU ARE READING
21 Poems Of Reflection
PoesiaA compilation of reflective poems I wrote upon reading Miyamoto Musashi's book Dokkōdō (The Way of Walking Alone). The 21 principles in his book inspired me to write the poems you're about read here.
