when that thought sticks
when that cringe loops
when what was said, the hurt done, the mistake made gets
replayed replayed replayed
when the pain stays like, will it ever go away
the canisters of tear gas and flash bangs going off in your face
thought lungs, breathe thoughts
and in the space between thoughts
where the birds just sing and the freeway just whooshes
where the ac just hums and the stress just keeps pressing down
where what happened on that day in late may
just won’t go away
listen to the birds
singing
flowing
listen to the cars on the freeway
whooshing
flowing
listen to the ac, the fridge, the engine, the brakes, the traffic
humming, running, banging, screeching, honking
flowing
without fear, without attaching
feel your stress
pressing down
then going
without judging, without grasping
feel the tear gas burning, your anger growing
then changing
like one sound into the next
flowing
one thought into the next
flowing
and you breathe one breath in and out to the next
flowing
like one thought in and one thought out
flowing
letting come, letting go
breathing
knowing
it’s all passing through, why let it stay with you
it’s all passing through, you sure that thought makes you
so steady breathing, steady being
be free flowing thought flow
be thoughtful, be watchful
fully present, not tripping out
not caught on a doubt
at peace with now
so go
heat flow 