Thursday, June 22, 2023

How to walk an old dog

Give up your agenda: this 
is exploration, not exercise.
She can't hear you calling her on,
but then, you can't smell whatever
is so intriguing about that clump of grass,
so maybe just relax. Stop counting steps.
Don't even count birds, or minutes
or the things you have left to do
on your pressing and eternal list.
Move gently into the immeasurable.
Stop to greet children. Consider
that the most fascinating thing in the world
could be your neighbour's garbage can.
Observe without judgement
what is near to hand--even if what you see 
is the halt in her step, the way
her spine has begun to show. Walk
just long enough to remember
that love is not an antidote to death,
but loss is not the opposite of life.

--Lynn Ungar

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