When rushing life fills your head with noise
And torrents of thoughts aboard your near wrecked skull
Spill over into those around you,
An incessant drum, a high tech hum
Beats notifications into your bleary mind
Like Chinese water torture;
A constant drip of loveless likes that never finds an end
Nor can it when distraction scratches so well,
Well
Almost.
When you are carried away, soon to be washed up
Stuck in the weedy grasp and pulled under
Then
Take yourself to a river's edge
Slip down the muddy bank to biting fresh ripples
Let the world recede, it's cacophonous drone of uptight, caffeine fulled angst
Drowned out by the confident murmur of unstoppable flow
Sink waist deep
Navel filled
And wade.
Watch time wash languidly by
The pace and rush of 9 to 5
Which daily drags it's victims down
Tik Toking to unending dissatisfaction
All swept away by an eternal tide
That commands stillness.
Let yourself reflect the river's watch
Which knows that time is thick
It does not skip or flit
But waits patiently for you to catch up
And slow down.
Through the veil of misty morning light
Wander lazily up the river's length
Catch glimpses of darting blue
As electric dragon's fly about you
Sometimes flung through the air, caught unaware
By breathy puffs of wind.
Step by step walk up and through
This Ancient stream
As it dismantles 'you'
Washes away your noisy edge
And cleanses the urge to overthink.
When waves threaten to crash you away
Take yourself to a river's heart
Stand waist deep
Navel chilled
And wade.
You can listen to me reading this poem below.
