Meditation - 21 Aug 2004

things acquire value
with rarity and distance
we treasure diamonds above sand
and crave the mountain top
while at the corner grocery

how much more, then,
we prize the unique,
the original artwork or family heirloom,
long for the impossibly far away,
the friend no longer in this world, or loved one

may God open our eyes to see that
the everyday events and faces
will be displaced and replaced in time,
the people i can touch now, and places
will be erased from the space within reach

today my hand can nolonger hold
what i discarded, or dropped, or forgot yesterday
my arm not long enough to reach
what the night has carried away
likewise tomorrow will rob today

may God open our mouths to bless
the ordinary
may God open our hands to touch
the nearby
may God open our hearts to love
today