Poem: The Middle Way

This original spoken word poem is from episode #35 of my podcast, Let the Verse Flow (Mindfulness and Moderation: The Power of the Middle Way). It’s a reflection on my journey to recognize the Middle Way, calling out the blessings of impermanence, and highlighting how mindfulness ties the two together.

Music Credit: Cool by EILOH; licensed through Soundstripe.

Transcript

Here's a poem on the middle way,

The blessings of impermanence and how being mindful ties the two together.

There was a bee,

It buzzed around my ankles and then it whizzed away,

An anxious blip in an otherwise ordinary day.

By noon it was forgotten as strong winds blew and palm trees swayed.

My birthday came and people sang and gave me presents,

But the next day was silent as one by one we moved on.

Old cake sat in the fridge while ceremony slowly slipped away.

I took a warm plunge where the sea kelp flies and enjoyed it for a time,

But slime and salt aren't my brine,

So I got out and salt crystallized.

Grains of sand laid claim to limbs and hair and glistening thighs.

All sun-dried on the beach,

A headache came to stay,

A pounding beat with fury as temples did inflame.

Oh,

How I wanted to throw away my forehead,

But just then the pain eased up and like magic went away.

No drastic measures on this particular day.

The good times have come and gone,

Impermanent is the word,

For everything comes in and then it fades,

Nothing stays.

Oh,

What a relief,

I couldn't take the bad for another day,

But strangely all good tires me out just the same.

I much prefer the middle way.

When life is as it comes,

Big swells throw me over,

They pull the sand to reveal the treasures that remain.

Which shell shall I claim,

Choose quickly before the vast sea change?

My shell,

It's iridescent,

Ridged in pink,

In this light,

But that too can change.

I take it all in,

To see it as it is,

For there's a story nestled in each pink ridge,

And changed forever,

We begin.

Reviews

Thank you for the beautiful poem and real-life teaching on training/ living in the The Middle Way. It was just what I needed to help anchor myself in the concept. I am so happy I found your work.