—∞—
The threshold Of the future Is pulled forward Slowly and surely Second by second Or stands still As the past Slips away Retreating fitfully But never completely Our yesterdays linger Sometimes Directly behind Taunting Or back around a dim corner Barely accessible If warm and pleasant Abruptly intrusive Uninvited If unhappy or filled with regrets But what of our tomorrows? Sometimes Filled with hopes and dreams Or other times with dread Uncertainty Days and years Lying ahead Our dwelling place To be Fleetingly or longer Yet, they are Empty Years Waiting to be filled By us or circumstance Health, family Resources, friends A spiritual foundation A sense Of the Other All shape A life to come But, really, isn’t it now, The present, That will ultimately decide? Our sense of self Now Our willing to be Now Our gratitude – now Isn’t that what shapes us, Now, and in the years to come? How we view the past Our acceptance of self and others A willingness to be present© 2013 Thomas W. Cummins
Tags: personal, poetry, spirituality
In a dim light... 
June 18, 2013 at 9:04 am |
Beautiful, Tom! Thank you.
June 18, 2013 at 9:38 am |
Thank you, Sara. Your comment means a lot as I try to balance visits to grim prisons where time, memories, and the future are a constant menace.
June 22, 2013 at 3:03 am |
I like this Tom. the future as an empty space is an awesome thought. To perceive such emptiness is a little scary perhaps, but as you say, a willingness to be present now, shapes us, it’s all we have, and in this moment, it’s all we need.
I think of children, how they live in the moment, and life seems easier.
June 22, 2013 at 8:04 am |
Thank you, Teri. Time has always been a fascination for me. Our inability to reshape the past and control the future is where acceptance and surrender can bring a bit of inner peace.
December 31, 2013 at 4:06 pm |
Reblogged this on In a dim light… and commented:
Another post from earlier this year … as we prepare to move forward from 2013.