afternoon walk

i walk instead of drive because it’s nice outside

today the sky is blue-white

thin clouds hide the sun

yet it’s brightness still surrounds me

giving happiness

giving energy

giving the feeling of goodness

as photons flicker between leaves into my eyes

i look up and notice the brown-edged green foliage

how each tree displays it’s own piece of art in this hallway

of 47th street

I’m reminded that things don’t last forever

And it’s okay, even beautiful

rhythmic low-fi gives the wind a beat

as I match my steps in sync

people bike, walk, run, talk

around me, my attention span elongates

as i notice their faces, and acknowledge they are people I don’t know

before now, i wonder if they feel seen by those that do

but i keep moving past

i leave them to resume their own lives, towards their own destinations

i take a second to recognize that i’ll never see them again

and i don’t care, though I wish them well

it feels nice, this cocoon of melodies only I hear

silencing my breath

so i only know it’s there by the feeling in my nose, mouth, and chest

slowly inhaling, slowly exhaling

my blinking is slightly slower too, each gaze is intentional

i’m absorbing my surroundings

and in that moment, my heart softens

i’m meditating