In this quiet space

This weekend I had the great fortune to be part of a retreat for local mindfulness teachers focussing on poetry. We had a wonderful 2 days of different exercises, meditation, mindful eating and sharing, all in the beautiful atmosphere of Whitby. We had a session on Rumi, with Persian music and poems read in English and Parsi! We had a session focussing on the 7 pillars of mindfulness (Jon Kabat-Zinn's 7 attitudinal foundations) and I learnt a lovely exercise from Margaret Chapman-Clarke starting with 9 words. Here below is the poem that came from this exercise.
Warm
Curious
Peaceful
Environment
Space
Dancing
Interplay
Melody
Choreographer

In this quiet space
because I am warm
I feel at ease.
Warmth is my comfort blanket
top on my list of requirements
which otherwise are few.

In this quiet space
curiosity is aroused by this exercise.
I am eager to discover what emerges
what words are already playing
at the periphery of my vision
itching to come to the foreground
to be seen.

In this quiet space
peacefulness and space merge
each nurturing the other and
I cannot decipher which came first
the environment is conducive to both.

In this quiet space
there is dancing
between who and who?
between what and what?

A playful dance
the dance of life
the journey to nowhere
except right here.

The dance of peace and space
as these two characters take centre stage and
begin to interplay.
It is a dance of stillness and silence
with no apparent melody and
no apparent choreographer.

A playful dance
the dance of life
the journey to nowhere
except right here.
I am the choreographer
I am the melody.

© 16 Apr 16