Out & About, Not

Sabbath mornings are good for 

walking.  There’s not a lot of

traffic, so the silence soothes

the skin & bone, nerves & soul.

So out walking the old man 

feels the whole world rising in 

him, everything face to face:

road, sky, all between, beyond.

In deed there be no in, out; 

nothing between or beyond—

only one verse singing through 

birdsong that is deafening.

At once, everything rises

saturated with the hush. 

He witnesses it all with 

a relaxed mind that’s empty.

As if no mind to speak of

but a feeling of being 

awake, aware of it all . . .

like the bug creeping across 

the path, lit up by bright sun 

showering all with a gleam 

of glory . . . runners running, 

walkers walking, all upright. 

A dog barks at the old man 

witnessing, and the upright 

holding the leash says, Sorry, 

and he says, Nothing happened. 

Clearly visible, the old man’s not there.