Living in the Moment; A poem about being present.

I place my ticking clock in the other room so that I may not hear it’s ticking marking  seconds of time.

The ticking seems to go at such a rapid speed with no breaths in between…no breaks, no pauses, just ticking, ticking, ticking.

The sound frightens me, startles me and somehow saddens me. 

Make it slow down. Does it have to tick so quickly?

My heart is made uneasy and I walk away.

If I don’t hear it, maybe it will stop its incessant noise, the driving tempo of its life which is designed to remind me of the time…yet reminds me only of my life fleeting by.

The present does not scare me nor the past, but the horrific ticking that keeps pushing forward is something I want to silence.

Please spare me from its ticking, ticking, ticking!

What frightens and causes my uneasy mind is the regrets, the remorse, and yes, the unanswered dreams.

Stop ticking so loudly!  I know, I know….or do I ?

The clock’s face stays the same but not mine.  I cannot remain as steady and stoic.  Instead, the ticking takes form in the patina, the wrinkles of time circling  my eyes, my lips, and my neck.  Why must you keep reminding me of time passing since I see it in the mirror each time?  

Perhaps this constant sound could remind me of a lively tempo that brings me to new adventures, relationships, and visions?

Could it be like the simple paper chain that children make to countdown to Christmas or a birthday?

Alas, it does not bring that joyful anticipation.

This inanimate small clock which sits so innocently on my shelf brings fear and angst. 

My mind ponders my dread for the tempo of the ticking?

The obvious answer comes as quickly as the allegro tempo in my head.

Perhaps I must not only be in the moment but in the second?  

I should be intentionally knowing and being apart in this miracle of life.

Each second is my opportunity for life and love.

Each second reveals the magic doors to new understandings and levels of being.

The ticking could feel like a driving heartbeat of exhilaration.

Ticking and tocking to new songs.

But, I still ponder this time passing. Ticking away.

My heart could know this rhythm and synchronizes to its pace.

With one beat, one tick after another, I could become one with my purpose and path.

Peace with the ticking could now remind me of the steady sound of a mountain stream, the constant harmony of wind chimes, and the promises of life.

Ticking, ticking, ticking…so quickly, ticking, ticking, ticking away.