Fear

Fear passes from man to man

Unknowing,

As one leaf passes its shudder

To another.

All at once the whole tree is trembling,

And there is no sign of the wind.

Selected Early Poems (1999) by Charles Simic

Halley’s Comet by Stanley Kunitz (collected poems WW Norton, 2000)

Miss Murphy in first grade

wrote its name in chalk

across the board and told us

it was roaring down the stormtracks

of the Milky Way at frightful speed

and if it wandered off its course

and smashed into the earth

there’d be no school tomorrow.

A red-bearded preacher from the hills

with a wild look in his eyes

stood in the public square

at the playground’s edge

proclaiming he was sent by God

to save every one of us,

even the little children.

“Repent, ye sinners!” he shouted,

waving his hand-lettered sign.

At supper I felt sad to think

that it was probably

the last meal I’d share

with my mother and my sisters;

but I felt excited too

and scarcely touched my plate.

So mother scolded me

and sent me early to my room.

The whole family’s asleep

except for me. They never heard me steal

into the stairwell hall and climb

the ladder to the fresh night air.

Look for me, Father, on the roof

of the red brick building

at the foot of Green Street —

that’s where we live, you know, on the top floor.

I’m the boy in the white flannel gown

sprawled on this coarse gravel bed

searching the starry sky,

waiting for the world to end.

DIY Restoration: An Easy Relaxation Exercise

Who has time to relax or calm down?  

Whether we feel we have time or not we're stuck with the fact that sometimes we have to stop everything and let ourselves have a "moment".

I like this "audio" meditation.  We live in a very visually oriented world.  It is somewhat astonishing at how loud a city can seem through our eyes. 

Sit somewhere: the woods, the subway, a mall parking lot, at home, etc

Begin by noticing your body and your sitting position.  Notice where your arms are, if your head or back is leaning against something.  Allow whatever surface you are sitting on to hold your full weight. Notice the pressure of your body against this surface.

Now become aware of the sounds around you.  You might choose to close your eyes.  If you are in a relatively quiet area you might hear your heart beating, your stomach gurgling or the sound of your own breathing.  If it's a noisier location perhaps you'll hear a bus, train or plane go by, a stroller, a crying baby, a dog barking, other people's conversation.  Notice the different sounds coming and going...

You can set a timer if you want to- 3 minutes?  5 or 10 minutes?  longer?  Or you can do the exercise until you feel finished- without timing it.  You decide.

When you are ready to end bring your awareness back to the surface that is supporting you and after a few moments gently open your eyes.  Notice how you feel.  If you like, you can keep a small notebook of these feelings, sensations, thoughts.

Enjoy!