Yesterday, I had an introvert day. I painted and colored and cleaned and baked, all sorts of magical things. And I decided that I should take a break from all things good and go for a quick run. I begrudging put my aesics on and gave myself the usual peptalk. “Just do 20 minutes and you can be lazy and sit in your pajamas the rest of the day. Here, put on audiobook. This could be fun.”
Instead of taking my normal route to the nearest park and back, I decided to roam up and down the streets of Lichtenberg. I quickly found a new park, and with no google maps to tell how big it was, I just decided to wander in and see what I could find. “It couldn’t be that big,” I thought. “And it looks like it heads back toward home.” I should’ve known better. Twenty minutes in and I was so lost, but I had never been more happy to be that way. I found a castle, old graves, a pasture full of sheep. Yes, in the middle of Berlin, I found a pasture of sheep. There were vines growing over old buildings and little summer shacks where women were out pruning their gardens. I was about 50 minutes into my run at this point (it should be noted that I am not actually in shape, and my body hurts like mad today) and I still had no idea where I was. But it was glorious. As a super planner control freak, I don’t just wander like this. Most of my days are calculated, each activity has a beginning and end time. I pride myself on being efficient, but make fun of how inobservant I can be. And after yesterday, I realized the two might go hand in hand.What do I give up when I cram more things into my day? What beauties do I miss out on? What precious moments?
So, as my year of learning creativity comes to a close (look for my 1 year birthday post on AUGUST 12th!) I’m wondering if this next year needs to include less doing and more dwelling.
But these are just silly ramblings that come before I present a poem. I’m just stalling to press to publish button. I really need to work on that. 🙂 But with nothing else to say, I think I’ll let you read my poem now. Read it, and then go out a wander some.
Today I wandered for I had else nothing do,
so I humbled myself to walk underneath the sky’s hues.
My feet followed paths I knew not where they lead,
and I listed to my heart instead of a plan.
Secret passages laid undiscovered for I had not the time,
but perhaps if I had known, I would have sooner changed my mind.
For when I took the time to finally look around,
I saw magic in the making, just waiting to be found.
Shrub and vine held up buildings on the verge on collapse.
Wildflowers sprung from gravestones, bringing life from the ash.
The women tended their gardens, calling color from the dirt,
And I mourned that it has taken me this long to finally see the earth.
But now I call forth: “You are good, beautiful and true.”
You have revived my soul, like water seeping into roots.
As if only by beholding, there is beauty now in me.
As if by seeing you, I have seen what is holy.
Though I ran for hours, I did not once grow weary
For how could my legs stop when my eyes saw such beauty
I threw my head back and laughed as I turned round a bend,
I giggled as a school girl for all the glory flowing in.
And as I ran through the forest, the trees reached down to me.
So that I could touch their branches, and from their spirit glean.
Though my journey shortly ended, I returned home not the same
For there was wonder in my heart and peace running through my veins.
rebekah.eckard 