In Tandem

In Tandem

Chest tightens, breath restricts,
unease begins to find a grip.
Wonder surfaces,
“What is that?
Why does it visit?
Should I pay attention, or not?”
And then I choose 

the miracle of breath.
That’s it.
I just breathe.
As I do, awareness washes in –
this tightness has a narrative
with a very complex plot.
Over time,
these moments of pause
continue to unravel storylines
that make up this life
I have lived so far.
Some I remember vividly,
others remain in a haze.
Some are valid and true,
others imposed and faulty.
What becomes more and more clear
is that the constriction,
though real in the moment,
does not have to honor
stagnant tales of old.
Those struggles are done
if I let them be.
I have the power to
let my story adapt
as I anchor to those
profound undulations
that present themselves 

along the way.
Just as love entered my life

exactly when I needed it,
so can I embrace,
even ask for,
Divine love.
I can let the obsolete subplot
of fear and doubt flow away
as many times as necessary.
At the very same time,
I can keep my memories of shared love,

that wonderful sense of being 

in tandem,

alive and well within.

Sarah Carlson

November 19, 2019