The Littlest Things

8 minutes, two small edits, some line breaks, photo from the driver's seat

Driving down this road, hands on the wheel,
Eyes tuned to catch any unexpected movement in the field
Left, right, before, behind,
I’m tuned also to what might come from a blind spot (not out of nowhere)
And change everything in an instant.
The littlest thing could make a huge difference.

Some days this state might be one of wariness,
As if threats are everywhere and vigilance is required.
Or I might want to anticipate obstacles, plan alternate routes,
Having somewhere important to be.
Perhaps I’m open to the flow of the journey,
No particular hurry, trusting that those around me
Are self-interested at least enough to honor the rules of the road
And see us all safely to our destination.
And then there’s just the hum of the engine, the landscape,
Full awareness joined to the thread of thoughts
So that the creature by the road,
The stand of oaks looming and then receding, or the color of the sky
Sparks a sense of joy and wholeness.

It’s all there in the littlest of things,
Creating and breaking the trance of the road.
One way or another, I have to believe I’ll arrive.