Ode To Gratitude

It's all summed up in a word and felt in a body
And seen in each moment, tasted, heard

And lost-over and over, again and again

For if we knew fully

--touched completely
There would be nothing more than a constant state of wonder
Tears streaking down our faces with no time for

coffee shops, business meetings,

--papers, degrees, preparations for later
Diets and deadlines would be eradicated from the absolute and inexplicable wonder that being alive, in this body, on this firmament, this April 7, 2007 moment of time, 3:00 PM
And all would live life in gratitude

But instead, we struggle to find that state
Found in the middle of grief when mothers tell their grown children they don't want to leave them
And step to the other side
Found in a sunny day

for no reason claiming us
Found in seeing the girl of his dreams

the woman who will fully, through the years replace us in his heart
Found in the great cavern, gentle, nothing Saturday afternoon
holding these children who don't know much more than the dreams of their future jobs

or babies or a new bedroom set
Gratitude
Something in me wants to make it cute

or an acronym for some clever expression
But instead it is a formidable friend

beckoning me beyond reason to live within the speechless breath it recommends
In unknown wonder of it all