What does it truly mean?
To fully embrace, the places we are in,
Spaces we call home, the person within,
With grace and compassion.

The push and pull of our daily lives,
Made irrelevant and obsolete,
No frenetic dance to distract us,
From what we refuse to see.

No longer rushing in,
Only to bolt back out again,
Due to the self-imposed pace,
Of a rat lost in a maze.

Previously deemed essential activities,
Work, exercise… social niceties,
Breaking for holidays or festivities,
Planning, packing, travel itineraries.

Returning to do it all over again,
Sometimes with a sigh or a complaint,
Day to day routines, never-ending,
“To be done” lists always waiting.

We hit a PAUSE and just like that,
Nowhere to rush or escape to,
No addiction to drown out the voice,
Asking if, with ourselves, we are at peace.

Wonder if you like what you see,
With nowhere left to hide,
Other than the boundaries,
Of your own reveries.

Reluctantly, we face the void,
The body, the mind,
No putting off or fantasizing,
When reality cannot be denied.

If all you’ve ever done is run,
Being forced to stay in one spot,
Is bloody ironic and full of fraught,
Perhaps it’s time to slow down…

We have a choice to make,
To rebel against or accept,
To respond instead of react,
To unconditionally inhabit.

Cover image by Christian Chen on Unsplash