Tell yourself a new story One that does not begin with shame Or the erroneous notion of being born broken That your very existence is flawed In need of redemption Or that life is a rehearsal In pursuit of eternal reward A promise of future paradise Bought with death and destruction And the oppression of curiosity Tell yourself a new story Snatched from the tree of knowledge Dripping with ripening fruit Rich with possibility A story that revels in the glorious Imperfections of life’s experimental creations That hints of the wonder of being alive Here in this moment Just for a moment Shaped from the very matter of the universe Filled with curiosity and second chances And the capacity to contemplate Art and music and love And the whims of fate. Tell yourself a story of insignificance For indeed small you are A momentary fragment of the universe A tiny thread of life’s vibrant tapestry As inconsequential as a fruit fly As influential as the wings of a butterfly Particles of the universe Arranged just so, Perfectly, uniquely you Intimately connected to everything Alive Awake Aware Curious With the chance to explore Discover Feel the heartbeat of a lover The cold brisk air on the slopes of a snow-covered mountain The touch of sun on your upturned face The touch of kindness The thrill of desire The ache of longing The warm embrace of love A moment in which To smile To hope To dream To create To listen To learn To love To care To spread the wings of your mind And take flight In the marvellously magical possibilities Of conscious life. Sharlene Zeederberg - July, 2020 Photo by Fuu J on Unsplash
Reflections from Middle Age 