I AM THANKFUL

Although written with Thanksgiving in mind, I try to “remember to remember” what I am thankful for everyday!

I give thanks for the miracle of daily life and breath,
And this gorgeous if endangered natural world,
And the treasure of Dharma friends and family surrounding me,
In this very moment.
I give thanks that I’m not a homeless refugee,
Bombed and hounded, unwelcome at borders,
Climbing concrete dividing walls,
Or an any other person fleeing civil unrest, discrimination, and warfare,
Not a Middle Eastern girl kept from school and modern civil rights,
Nor black Ameri-teen endangered in open streets,
Or stateless ocean-going boat people or Tibetan refugees braving Himalayan snows and Communist guns. I give thanks I’ve made it to sixty alive,
And with family and faculties intact,
In a great democratic country which needs no armed election monitoring,
With food, shelter, freedom, democracy,
And opportunities.
I give thanks for The Moveable Feast,
Of my decades in both France and Southeast Asia,
With my beloved gurus and comrades-in-spirit on the Path of love and awakefulness,
And thrill with gratitude and cherish-edness for this shining autumn New England day.
I give thanks for you.
Thank you very smooch!