Becoming Present

A week or so ago, I wrote this poem based upon Daniel Siegel's "Wheel of Awareness" exercise. In his work with Interpersonal Neurobiology, Dr Siegel encourages this daily practice which enhances awareness of self and relationship.  One starts with the basic senses, progresses to the body's interior, mental activities, and finishes with interconnectedness. As you walk through this poem, I hope you will be able to appreciate the movements taken from my observations on a mid-January's day.

First movement

Breathe

Subtle breeze

Quiet sigh

                        Repeat

Awakening awareness

Becoming present

                       

Listen…

Muffled voices tumble

Through the ambient mask

Of white noise

Designed to deafen

Look…

Tan walls

Visual muzak

Overrun

            By muted watercolor

            And too many diplomas

Smell…

Inhale deeply

            And hold…

Hints of chili

            And coffee

            Beloved beans

Taste…

Tongue discovering

            Consulting the nose

Coffee

            Treasured companion

            Yet bitter when she leaves

Touch…

Fingers lightly

            On the keyboard

Body heavy

            Upon the chair

These five

Reveal the world

Creation’s prime explorers

Yet they’re not alone

Second Movement

Breathe

Subtle breeze

Quiet sigh

                        Repeat

Awakening awareness

Becoming present

Come inside

Hidden interior

Body’s magnificence

            Knit together

            Indwelt

Crooked teeth

            Barely touching

Once broad shoulders

            stooped

            Incurvatus en se

Vertebrae

            Some barely holding hands

            Others squeezing too tight

Arms and legs

            Like a Victorian parlor chair  

Overstuffed and underused

Internal organs

            Harmonizing ad infinitum  

            Until life’s end

The sixth sense

Reveals the world

Inside

Yet it is not alone

Third Movement

Breathe

Subtle breeze

Quiet sigh

                        Repeat

Awakening awareness

Becoming present

Blue hues of sadness

Splashes of yellow

Blooms of red

A canvas of swirling emotion

Thoughts dancing

            Never settling

            Upon one thing

Twirling around the mind’s dancefloor

Hopes and longings

            But for what?

            Peace on Earth?

            That’s quaint

How about peace in me?

Memories and dreams

Images and intentions

            All in the mind’s eye

            Effervescent mental activity

It’s time to mind your mind

The mind too

Reveals the world

Inside

Yet it is not alone

Fourth Movement

Breathe

Subtle breeze

Quiet sigh

                        Repeat

Awakening awareness

Becoming present

Turning outward again

Not to what

But to whom

            Interpersonal interconnection

People surround me

            Yet disconnected

            Living compartmentalized

I hear their voices

            Giving clues to location

            But not to their hearts

Four souls at home

            My bride

            And my littles

I imagine their lunch break

            Four sandwiches

            Four bananas

            Four screens

Same space, different worlds

One planet

Seven billion souls

            And counting

            Yet loneliness abounds

            On anti-social media

Our relationships

Reveal the world

between

that we are not alone

            …or at least should not be

Reprise

Becoming present

Awakening awareness

                        Repeat

Quiet sigh

Subtle breeze

            Breathe