a spell to slow down

• the smile of a sloth

• a temporary farewell with caffeine 

• a commitment to sense with whatever senses one has been gifted with

• thirty inconsistent days of inconsistent practices

• the patience of a 200-year old bowhead whale 

• the stability of a pride of lionesses, preparing for a hunt

• a recognition of each bird's unique song

they tripped me with tales 

of the tortoise and the hare

yet slicked me to speed

till my knees skinned bare 

i ran faster than a rabbit

i rushed towards my grave

i chased through their matrix

i sold myself as a slave

i borrowed a moment

till i caught my breath

remembering the gift

of dancing until death

i chewed on a lesson

so ancient yet so clean

i slowed how i grew

i planted myself as a bean

i welcomed the dark

i inched toward the sky

i stretched my gaze

and released an eternal sigh