praṇavaḥ

तस्य वाचकः प्रणवः। tasya vācakaḥ praṇavaḥ | Yoga Sutra 1.27

A

from the warm
watery
presence of
belonging,

the first gasp for air.
inhaling
the world’s
sharp cold
and sudden
intensity of light.

a pause,
and then,
an exhale

nothing left to do
but surrender
to a story
already told,
and quickly forgotten
in the morning
storm
of
life.

U

building,
destroying,

grasping,
refusing,

believing,
refuting,

chasing,
fleeing,

dreaming,
disappointing,

climbing,
falling,

falling to pieces.

preparing

M

in silence
the offering:

listening
to the pain of another,

beholding
the beauty
and tragedy
of the world,

rejoicing
in the miracle,

loving
wholeheartedly,
when it makes
no sense,

standing
at the edge
of disappearance

where only emptiness
watches
as we
step
inside.