i will tell you now
how pausing is kindness.
pausing is the white space,
white space around words.
pausing is the margins on a page,
a space created around words.
pausing is the comma. it is catching one’s breath at the end of a sentence.
it is stopping or slowing down.
pausing is the space in between words–spoken or written–
that is rife with meaning.
pauses and silences
can speak louder than words.
i hear what you don’t say
when you are silent.
pausing is the space created around oneself, around a person’s busyness, activities, life…
a space created in the midst of a day, to slow down, stop, reflect.
pausing is the noticing; taking note.
pausing is noticing details in the world, like the waft of a breeze, a change in the direction of the wind,
or the soft whiz and fling of a bird’s wing,
or the 4:15 am chirping of birds, the trumpet heralds of a new day.
pausing is noticing the first green buds emerging in spring
and knowing when the yellow irises will bloom again
pausing is noticing the peonies survived the blight of last year’s mold,
the ones that were cut down and thrown away,
and it was unclear if it’d work or not but now it’s visible–
it worked and they survived.
pausing is stopping, slowing down, from many things.
pausing is looking. listening. thinking. wondering. pondering.
pausing is a whisper, a soft moment,
unobtrusive and quiet.
pausing means noticing people–
(or it should be)–
and the fragile, vulnerable space occupied by souls.
i don’t know what to do with all the complicated
challenging, difficult circumstances,
mistakes, pains, aches, confusion, and questions…
it is beyond me to know and to answer
so many things; i have no choice but to pause.
i pause and consider the lilies
and their worth.
i stop and consider not a single sparrow
falls without notice,
and i pause to know that the number of hairs on my head
is not too much of an obscure fact to be known.
pausing is noticing, looking, listening;
(it’s the opposite of running and speeding up).
pausing is counter-cultural, even counter-intuitive.
we think we have the answers and are ready to run with them.
pausing is weeping with those who weep,
laughing with those who laugh,
mourning with those who mourn,
singing with those who sing.
pausing means taking a breath.
pausing is love.
pausing is humility.
pausing is kindness.
sharing with Five Minute Friday’s weekly prompt
** flower photos above are from pixabay**
***
this spoke to my heart. One of the words that always resonates with my heart is breathe/rest….and pause fits right into that. This poem brought me into that place where my soul breathes deep…and I’m refreshed. thank you for the reminder dear Sister. You are loved.
I’m so glad to hear this spoke to you, friend. Thank you so much for sharing that and your encouragement here.
SO beautiful, Prasanta! I love it. Thank you for sharing, and for linking up with Five Minute Friday. xx
Thank you so much, Kate! It’s been nice to get back in with writing with the FMF community.
This is really nice, Prasanta. For me, the slowing down with age comes with blessings too – namely that I pause more often – think before I speak, consider, notice people and things. Your poem made me think of these blessings.
I appreciate you pointing out the blessings that come with slowing down, Lindy; you make a very good point. I tend to think more about the negative aspects of aging and slowing down, so it’s encouraging to hear the positive. I personally am feeling that more keenly this year, so it is helpful for me to hear that. Thank you for sharing those words!
This is so beautiful, Prasanta! Just reading it and thinking about the words was very refreshing. Pausing through the day is so necessary or we do miss a lot. And I love this stanza:
“pausing is weeping with those who weep,
laughing with those who laugh,
mourning with those who mourn,
singing with those who sing.”
Yes, this is a beautiful way to pause. Blessings to you!
Thank you, Gayl! I was thinking about the verse Romans 12:15 (Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep), when I wrote those particular lines. So glad you found it refreshing.