Hallway to Nowhere

Tag: focus

  • Attentional Closet (Poem)

    I open the closet to shine a flashlight on the interior.

    What do I see? It depends upon where I focus the light.

    I can see the clothes and other items,

    To be grateful for what I have.

    I can find dirt and dust,

    To be motivated to clean.

    I can see disorganization and poor design,

    To be inspired to reorder.

    I can find empty holes and disliked objects,

    To feel suffering and lack.

    Whatever I discover, whatever I feel, whatever I do…

    All depends upon where I focus the beam and how I choose to respond.

    The closet itself is simply a space with things.

  • What I Choose (Poem)

    “SO EVEN THOUGH WE FACE THE DIFFICULTIES OF TODAY AND TOMORROW,

    I STILL HAVE A DREAM”.

    I look around me to see

    The empty spaces once filled by all we’ve lost:

    People gone; land destroyed; dreams themselves dying,

    And wonder can we bear this cost?

    But I also pause to hear

    The many voices that sing out a common song:

    Notes of lamentation, but woven with threads of laughter and hope,

    And remember that love remains strong.

    There can be all manner of destruction and devastation,

    But I will not forget the outstretched hands, the kind acts, and the courage of community.