Comin' Alive

(A small poem about awareness)

Once as I was walking by a pond

I stopped at the waters edge

to see...

dull murky water surroounded by mud.

Anticipation turned into disappointment

- no thing there

- no movement

- no creature

- muddy water in a bog

Where were the turtles and tadpoles, or even water bugs?

Yet, I lingered a while and my mind stilled

Now

2 green turtles with red dots on their necks sunning where at first I had seen only a log

Jillions of tadpoles in a shallow-water frenzy right beneath my feet

Multitudes of large, small and medium goldfish swimming swirls

Purple dragon flies water-dancing along with milky white lilies swinging on green valentines

Sunlight reflecting as diamondey jitterbugs

A big fat bullfrog splashing off a lily pad into a watery whirlpool

Me. Here. Attending. Aware.

I was Alive!

(A realization while on the campus of TWU, circa 1990. We depend on our perception for what we take to be reality, but notice that we play a part in creating it. Who was it who made a decision to pause/to observe?)