Peace Night

from the Buck's Rock PhotoBlog

Imagine

You are tired

And overwhelmed

And stressed

And everything is getting you down

And then your friend suggests

A labyrinth

For peace night

And she measures out the lines

And draws chalk lines on the asphalt

And in the early evening

A light rain falls

And the lines glow

You surround the labyrinth

With candles

And your friend explains the walk

And one by one

People walk the path

Simultaneously circling

Closer and further

From the centre

At first your breath is fast

You try to walk slowly

What it means to be ceremonial

To be mindful

There is no goal

You want to reach the centre

When will the labyrinth make you feel better?

Your boy is walking ahead of you

He is walking at a slower pace

He has internalized mindfulness

He does it as a matter of course

You fall into his rhythm

And breathe

You reach the centre

Energy pulsates

Calm and buzzing

The space created by the chalk lines

By people who are here

With intention

You lead a candlelit procession

To the porch

Small but lovely

The speak out

One child had never heard of Hiroshima until tonight

He lived through Hurricane Sandy

Another lives in Sandy Hook

The shared desire for a world more harmonious

Imagine

You live in a world

Where all the people

...

Vivid chalk-soft lines

You have entered the world of the labyrinth

The end.