is the inhale before you pick up the phone,

sip your tea so slowly it grows cold,

grind spices by hand ‘til you’re sore,

it’s the scenic route that google maps doesn’t know.

when the leaves give their green to the trees and let go,

soften into soil to compost

or crunch under your gleeful boot,

notice every fiber in your foot

that collaborates with bone and skin and memory.

lighten your load with levity.

after the fight when you turn towards each other,

embrace long enough to rest cheek on shoulder.

a gap tooth smile, a peephole to your soul,

remember, in the quiet, that each of us is whole.