listen the birds are singing call and distant response echoing like human what song you singing i get outside open these tired eyes watch the squirrels being other beings a squirrel on the telephone pole looking right at me gray eyelashes blinking and i start breathing my stress tendons relaxing squirrel jumps from the pole across the alley up into the oak tree my lord look at all the acorn husks on the ground all so empty but not one seed the squirrel just looking down at me like human please stress of pandemic when will you let go completely stress of curfews of no call no showings a tiny baby spider walking across my phone screen as i’m typing these exact words blown in on a silver string that helps me feel this cool breeze on my skin tickling and sticking attaching in my mind like the stress i feel in america these days stepping between us all when all we want to do is step beyond it like face forward onwards the injustice sickens repeating in that muzzle flash in that split second justice why’d you leave us you’re at work one day but calling in the next now the helicopters and sirens circling and the screens repeat repeating be somewhere be somewhere be somewhere else not here but can you hear this the birds just singing
be right here with us be right now with us
thought lungs, steady breathing
one thought in, one thought out
stress tendons start releasing
bandwidth of consciousness increasing
breathe in, breathe out
thoughts stop repeat repeating
stress tendons time you chill and stop death gripping yeah listen the birds are singing i get outside open these tired eyes at sunrise watching the moment dawn sunlight hits the greening crowns of deciduous trees listening to them start sweating and moving their stomata opening buds popping pollen dropping down the sloping western banks of the mississippi river good morning america good morning justice nice to have you with us again reporting to work on time and with clear eyes you know you’re not some unreliable signal subject to interference we need you present every second so you forget to show up then injustice comes and cuts another scar steals another life i’m walking the sandy river beach thoughts stuck in my head start moving and the ones that don’t move i’m not afraid to look at buddhism’s wisdom through meditation after all always asking it’s just a thought should i suffer to hold it in me like a statue frozen in shame or fear or pain should i suffer to ignore it struggle to push it all away afraid to feel what needs to heal even more should i cause suffering in others by acting out thoughts with the delusion of hate the intoxication of rage amongst all these screens repeat repeating now get distracted now pay attention which is it but can we hear this above it all love just saying
be right here with us be right now with us
heat flow 