How can I be present when the trauma of my past howls loudly, calling me toward depression?
How can I be present when harm could befall my loved ones at any moment, riddling me with anxiety?
I practice presence by looking forward, all the way to the end of my life, in order to look back to this moment, now.
In the end, I want to look back on my life and be satisfied with the story.
In order to do that, I must pay attention as it is unfolding.
I use moments when I must wait, those in-between moments, to focus on my breath, to ground me in mindfulness.
I use the times when I feel alarmed as my meditation bell, calling my attention back to now.
Every time I remember to do so, I take a moment to notice what is above me, what is below me, what is before me, what is behind me, what is within me, what is without me.
I radiate love out in all directions, through all space-time dimensions.
In so doing, I tap into the universal truth that I am the eternal present, just as you are.
Sage Burner Poetry 