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A Mindful Reunion

We meet in silence
Clutching blankets brought from home,
Holding memories from a year ago
When scars were raw,
Heads disguised by wigs
And tears too salt to weep.

I found words difficult then.
‘Body scan’
Was not a mindful exercise
But a machine at the end of a corridor.
There were places in my body
I could not touch with thought.

Like chrysalis we scatter the floor
Each section of our being
Revisited with childlike curiosity,
Sensations magnified, the tickle of wool, the press of cotton.
A forgotten ache from an ankle.

Our teacher’s voice
Both lesson and lullaby
Returning to the breath
Again and again
We try to train our thoughts;
Naughty as puppies
With Baskerville bites

I find peacefulness within the ordinary,
Rest my head in the soft cushion of a second
Savouring the beauty of this moment,
Both rooted in earth and reaching for stars.

Jacqueline Woods



Poetry Theme(s):

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