Kindly Forces

Do you remember 
The way the gentle breeze
Shakes autumn leaves
From their perennial shrinking
Turning them towards
The sun for one last
Drink of warmth?

Or when a stranger
Holds your eyes with theirs
Letting your souls mix
In a pregnant moment 
Of timelessness?

Have you breathed
In the work of the trees today?
How did it feel?
Did you sigh?

When was the last time
You stared intently
At the azure of the ocean,
Out beyond the furthest point
And imagined how it is to be a gull
Or a wave?

Will you let the aromatics
Of a crushed gum leaf
Stir the crevices of your spirit?

Have you closed your eyes recently
Passed the baton to your ears
Filled them with the punctuation of birdcalls
The rhythm of footsteps 
And the strokes of a river lapping gently by?

Can you recall how it feels
To be held by another?
Surrendering yourself 
Completely 
To a body whose boundaries
Become indiscernible from yours?
Or how piano keys 
And violin strokes
Wake up the emotions 
And memories
Lodged deep inside you
Setting them swirling
Like a willy-willy 
From your heart here
To your heart there, 
Out among the stars

Do you feel fully lived,
Do you know you are fully loved
By the unknown kindly 
Forces of the world?