October 30, 2021 Breathwork

Poem

You breathe in the crisp desert air

And find yourself beneath a Joshua tree

On a rock that softly holds you

As you look up at the long, thin leaves

With open arms he greets you

And confesses he’s not really a tree

He says, “I am actually a yucca plant;

Not everything is what it seems

I heard you came here for a wedding ceremony,

A birthday, and Halloween

But what really brought you here is love

Whatever the exact reason might be

I welcome you to our ecosystem

Where we give as much as we receive

Where I live thanks to the yucca moths

And the yucca moths live thanks to me

For 25,000 years

We have called this place our home

Amid the rocks and barren land

A blank canvas to call your own

It is void of expectations

And brimming with possibility

Just then the sky turns to vivid teal

And soft olive turns to bright green

Lilac purple and sherbert orange

Coat rocks that once seemed gray

How beautifully the sky kisses the horizon

It’s hard to look away

Just then the Joshua tree says

Look who is coming close

You glance across mounds of granite

And see people with baskets and indigenous clothes

They are the Mojave people from the year 1700

And are here for the Joshua leaves

To weave more baskets and sandals

And to eat yucca root and mesquite beans

As you watch them you start realize

They are not so different than you

They too want not just to survive

But to explore and enjoy life too

You don’t understand what they’re saying

But their laughter you know well

It is the familiar sound of pure joy

And your heart starts to slightly swell

Just then the Joshua tree says

Look who is coming now

You look up to see a familiar face

But the way you know them you’re not sure how

They are from the 1970’s

Either a woman or a man

From a time of great transformation

And when they had a secret plan

In their future they imagine a child

Someone to perhaps carry out a legacy

Or maybe just to live 1% better

Than was in their capacity

It is your mother or your father

Almost another version of yourself

You can see the similarities in their face

And also many differences as well

Little do they know

The person they will create

The person who shows up for friends

The person you are today

Just then the Joshua Tree says

There is one more visitor to see

You glance in the other direction

And wonder is that me?

The person coming towards you is glowing

And on their face a soft expression

As they walk closer you realize

It is you in 2027

Your step is a little lighter

And your spirit seems a bit more free

They come close and embrace you

And in their mind flashes a memory

They hold a moment from this weekend

Tucked away in their heart

Maybe it’s of the wedding or the hiking

Or maybe it’s right here where we are

You don’t want to let go

But the Joshua tree tells you it’s ok

You always have them with you

In your heart and in this place.

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