in the temple of my memory, there are many statues
graven images of beloved faces and the carefully recorded loops
of their laughter play chorus and harmony to remind me
that once upon a time, we cared, we loved, we shared
i choose to remember them, each and all
the pain of their passing, be it to loss or disagreement
is, by far, overwhelmed by the beauty of their presence
transient as it was, as it is, as ever it will be
it reminds me of impermanence
it reminds me of the truth of this precious moment
fleeting and delicate and filled with savor
too often i forget and must be reminded
by tears, by grief, by the things that
stop me in my tracks, take my breath
mindfulness is not hard
but concentration upon this moment
as such
is like grasping after sunlight
which, i suppose
is its own lesson
to hold without holding
in this, still, i struggle