Poetry for Mindfulness and Simplicity

Mindfully Washing the Dishes

plates, stacked haphazardly

mugs, housing

chopsticks (sticking every which way)

all three of my pans

the rice cooker pot too

the warmth of the water

the lil bubbles popping

the textured sponge

the smoothness of the glass

the clink of plates upon plates

the sink gurgling up all the filth

the tap water, trickling down

a light lemony scent

the faint rice smell of the kitchen

the flavours of a rice bowl

***

Scented Presence

Swirling in my thoughts

about the past,

vivid memories

of the wrong thing said,

the wrong action done;

sticking out like a sore thumb.

Jumping forward in time

to the million what-ifs

stronger than ever

during a time of such

uncertainty.

The soft scent of

stovetop popcorn

brings me back to the present, the now

the little pip, pops,

of tiny explosions;

spectacular food fireworks

without a care for

the regrets, the debts.

I live in the now.

With the crunch of one kernel,

I lay the past to rest;

yet another crispy bite,

I schedule dedicated planning time

for the rest.

For now, I am resting.

I am making this space

for me.

***

What is Simplicity?

Simplicity is

the slower, intentional yesses;

the quicker nos.

the commitment to your top priorities,

rather than the knee-jerk reaction

to please everyone else.

Simplicity is

parsimony,

the simplest, most straightforward explanation,

the guiding principle of science:

the most elegant way to understand the world

is the story with the fewest steps.

Simplicity is

keeping only the items

that give you joy,

surrounding yourself with space

where the tendrils of the past

do not take foothold in your present.

***

This collection was first published here, here, and here.