"i and this mystery here we stand"

i've been thinking about how lucky i am
to live.

i've been thinking about
how hard it is to let go at first,
but how quickly i give in.

i've been thinking about stories
all over the world that have been
told over and over and over again.

i've been thinking about
things that make me want to weep
for mothers who bear heavy burdens.

i've been thinking about traveling to cold
places to find the earth moving in a way i've never known.

i've been thinking about the violin
and how it weeps and moves the earth to meet its depths.

i've been thinking about how to trim my list
of wants.

i've been thinking about books i'll never
know even exist
and the pages i'll never read.

i've been thinking of singing this song about gardens that revive the dead
and then going to croatia to sing this song that's been sung for generations.

i've been thinking about giving up worrying
and giving in to peace.

{photos by cj and me}