Are We There Yet?

So often car trips are sprinkled with back seat travelers asking, “Are we there yet?” In our family the running joke to answer that question was always, “We’re here now.” Of course that didn’t answer the essence of the question about the destination, but did emphasize the value of the journey.

I took this photo yesterday on my way to the kitchen when I noticed how the sunlight from a beveled glass window was creating fluid art on the wall. I was not at my destination yet, but I had to linger for a moment on my short journey to enjoy that fleeting gift of light I was given. When I returned the light had moved on, but I still had the experience – and the photo to share.

Fleeting dance of light from a window

you calculate with smooth precision
the number of days you have left
before this realm of What Might Be
is released from the Not Yet Happened

but if you converse with the grace notes at hand
tapping into the realm of What Is
then when the Might Be finally arrives
you’ll have been living the Time of Your Life
instead of languid in Something Else moments,
those orphans of Not Being There Yet

Photo accompanying the poem,
Tomorrow, Today, and Yesterday
on A Year of Being Here

 

May you live all the days of your life. – Jonathan Swift.

 

Window

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