Gratitude

I’m not usually conscious
of the totality of myself
of the profound
interconnectedness of
each part of my body
limb to limb
head to toe
inside out
outside in
there’s an integrity there
it all works together
an organic machine
even if my head feels
busy and jangled
my heart remembers to beat
my organs do what
they’re supposed to do
whether I think to be
grateful to them or not
they show up, without fanfare or vanity,
silent, and ready to work.

I wrote this on March 15, 2009, while participating in a writing workshop entitled Dialoguing with the Body, led by the gifted writer and wonderful teacher, Dara Lurie. The expressive and oddly charming image I found in connection with discovering the fascinating online multimedia novel, Reconstructing Mayakovsky, by Illya Szilak.