Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Listening for Breaths by Kat Magendie

I stand on my mountain this morning and at a precise moment in a precise time, I know my worth. At a precise moment in a precise time, I feel contentment. I am a part of the Earth World. For when we search for the unattainable perfect we contract, the Earth World constricts; but, when we find that precise moment of contentment, the Earth World expands. And in that expansion, I feel a part of the Greater, and thus, a part of all of you. I search no further. We as human animals have desire to succeed, often for success sake. We live and love and finally die, and watch or intercede suffering, and so it is in that precise moment of contentment where the importance of who you are in this Earth World is acutely felt. If I was to lose my right leg, I would cry with rage and pain. Yet, I do not need that leg to live, and after a time I go on, I find a way. However, I cannot live without my soft organs—the lungs to breathe; the heart to pump my blood; the brain to instruct, to think, and to reveal who I am. Without my innards, I will die.

As I stand in this precise moment of contentment, I listen to my breath leave my body, and then enter my lungs again. I listen for all of your breaths. Beginning with the last exhale of the dying, to the first breath of the newborn, and then adding and adding all of your breaths and those that share Earth with us, until this is all I hear, all other noise is muffled away except for the sound of the entire Earth World of breathing. In this precise moment in time, I know the worth of the Earth World’s inhabitants. How everything breathes and lives. I find the possibilities of knowing all of you just by the familiarity of my own organs matching your organs, my red blood matching your red blood, the air I breathe out to be breathed in by you—we take in each other’s breaths. Find your precise moment of contentment, breathe, and think of me standing on my mountain thinking of you as I listen for your breaths. Listen for mine. Be grateful for each other.

(want to imagine my mountain? Smoky Mountain Photos...enjoy.)

6 comments:

Angie Ledbetter said...

Today I will take time to breathe more slowly, and be thankful for whatever I take in.

Barbara Quinn said...

I guess you heard me loud and clear huffing and puffing at my cardio class. ;-)

Lovely examination of one of the most important drives in life.

Kathryn Magendie said...

I imagine sometimest that the earth is breathing - in and out, out and in....just like we do

Kathryn Magendie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

your writing takes my breath away. in a good way!

ranger dan

Kathryn Magendie said...

Thank you RD....

Listen to our Podcasts