In an effort to share a range of perspectives on the meaning of mindfulness and to facilitate a discussion about this important topic, we are posting a series of short essays by different contributors on What Mindfulness Means to Me. Below is a poem by Elizabeth Wood expressing what mindfulness means to her.
I sit before an empty plate.
There is nowhere I need to be,
Nothing I need to do.
My plate is completely empty.
Perhaps a few tiny crumbs
Of a previous meal
Linger here and there.
But there is no main dish,
No commitments, no entanglements.
Before, my plate was overflowing
Obligations spilling over
Messy
Uncontrolled.
Today I sit with my plate empty.
I know there have been lots
Of projects, plans, promises
To myself
And others.
But today I sit with a plate
Of emptiness.
Only air,
Only space
And silence.
What a beautiful, exquisite
Plate
Of
Emptiness.
Elizabeth Wood has practiced in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh for thirty years. But who is she? Just a beginner.
