Train

Held by this train

I am forced to take a break from my constant doing

I surrender to gentle rocking, held softly between steel rails

I search for a pencil and find only a pen, reminding me that I cannot undo

the mistakes I have made

I sit with myself, take responsibility for my monstrous actions

I let go of my striving to be the smartest in the room, the prettiest in the picture, the most fiercely independent

I practice radical self-acceptance instead of my usual devastation when I am inevitably imperfect

A young man getting off the train says something to everyone as he passes

He gives us his blessing, tells us to stay cool in this heat

I wonder what he is high on, and am willing to partake

The train moves on without him, gliding through the evening light

I pause my own racing thoughts to bask in the blessing from a stranger on a train

Ever moving between two rails, I dedicate a moment of my journey to gratitude