BREATH

The ever changing thoughts
That flow to and fro
Like the incoming tide.
Sometimes the current is strong
And I get pulled under
Stuck in thought.

Good or bad
Time ceases to exist:
My current circumstance,
The coffee beside me,
The very breath itself.
I am consumed in thought.

What I encounter 
then is a choice.
Moment to moment
I can stop the monkey mind,
the hamster wheel
and I can break free.
I can return
to the ever present
changing moment.

The breath is my anchor.
It flashes into my conscious mind
And I find a silent reverie
Befriended by my own
Groundedness and strength.
I encounter the moment
Again and again.

The thoughts change.
The steadiness of my breath changes.
The moment is ever changing.
I can choose right now
to swallow the bitter pill
of being lost
and consumed by thought.

Or I can smile
and breathe
Knowing the choice
was always mine
and I am free.