Silent Presence

Outside, amidst the noise, confusion, sadness —
grief, anger, mayhem, and messiness —

Aware and quietly, I sit
in silent presence.
Out and in, I breathe
in silent presence.
Peace and stillness, I find
in silent presence.

What is — silent presence?
imagined and existing —
crickets, cicadas, blue jays, cardinals,
acorns plunking from oak trees,
chipmunks scurrying in
the underbrush
the afternoon sun dappling my body
through a canopy of trees
with warmth and light
scents of earth, treebark,
moss, and flakey limestone

I listen with-in. I breathe with-out. I seek and find—
silent presence. For the moment.

Silent Presence is a recently reworked poem I found in a journal of mine from 9.19.98