I have been loving a new podcast from On Being studios called Poetry Unbound. Today I was moved by the poem, Ode to buttoning and unbuttoning my shirt. Being present to whatever is happening is something I have struggled with my whole life.
In hearing Pádraig Ó Tuama explore this poem today, I was particularly captivated by the images of touch. It is one of the senses I treasure most. For me, touch and scent have the most power to call me into the present. I crave it and yet find it so hard to do. My brain is always dragging me off to deal with my responsibilities and commitments I have made. My heart is drags me off to a place of presence, but often one of longing for something that isn’t or maybe even can’t be.
The power of poetry for me is a kind of unity of heart and mind in the moment: a chance to call all of me to attention to the here and now: the smoothness of the counter, the crust of the bread, the fur on my face. Seeking small joys in the sense of now.