There is only this:
The breath of the dog on the bed and the breath of the dog in the living room,
the settling of cats,
the scrambling of the squirrel along the deck’s railing—
he, too, forages for seed and meaning.
There is this, too: the flow of the river,
the crow on the crooked branch,
the chiming of pipes in the wind,
the waves of the wind,
the insistence of the wind that we be more than we are,
that we are more than we believe,
that now is the God we seek;
we, poised and ready to breathe in the holy, the fact
that there is only this,
and breathe out the yes that allows the now,
and the love of now,
to marry.
© Copyright of all visual and written materials on The Daily Round belongs solely to Catherine M. O’Meara, 2011-Present. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited, without the author’s written approval. No one is authorized to use Catherine O’Meara’s copyrighted material for material gain without the author’s engagement and written permission. All other visual, written, and linked materials are credited to their authors. Thank you, and gentle peace.
THE DAILY ROUND 
Yes, there is only the “what is”.
What is, is.
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Well said, Shiva; you are wise, as always. ♥️ Be well, and gentle peace.
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Kitty, thank you so much for your beautiful words. Dog’s breath is my daily tempo. To help bring joy during quarantine, my sister and I reached out to a bunch of friends with kids inviting them to read your poem “And The People Stayed Home”. We weren’t sure if or when our compilation video would actually get done (it’s helped us these weeks just to have a project to work on), but we’ve just finished it! I’m a filmmaker in my work life, but this project is meant for art and peace, not profit. I wonder if we could connect with you to be sure you are ok with us sharing this video on social media? Thank you so much.
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I sent an e-mail, Melissa; I hope that will clarify this for you. Since we haven’t discussed the use of my copyrighted poem in your video project previously, I’m wondering if I might view it before giving permission for it to be posted.
Thank you so much for writing, and I’m happy you found a project to help you create during these challenging weeks.
Stay safe and well, and gentle peace.
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Ahhh yes….living life in the present is the same here, pretty much the same as you. Beautiful, just loved this, and that picture is just gorgeous.xxx
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I think if I’m to do this at all well, it can only be by the moment, Snowbird. I do lapse into memories every day, and they can be comforting, but then living in the past becomes overindulgence and I don’t want to leave. And musing on the future, beyond hopeful imagery of reunions, is not a place I can live long, either, so it seems best for me to stay mostly in the now and be grateful for its blessings, which are abundant. 🙂 Love you.
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Yes, I try to stay in the present, it’s easy when gardening or walking or just enjoying nature. Love you too.xxx
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I agree. Hooray for gardens. ♥️
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