Stopping is an Opportunity —
Stop! — and say no more!
I know you have forgotten —
Today is today —
Not yesterday or tomorrow.
I look into your eyes —
and hear your words —
You have travelled to the past my friend!
Returned to the phantoms of yesterday —
Lost yourself in yesterday’s living.
I look into your eyes —
and see your future animated!
You have travelled to some future my friend —
Where expectations and fears have multiplied!
In this moment I can see because I am calm —
I have some freedom from my captivity.
I am not lost to the past or future,
Like I was lost, just yesterday.
When you see my words and gestures,
When you see my mind racing or lost —
Stuck in fears and stressed needlessly —
Please give me a nudge, or a clever reminder.
We need to help each other out sometimes —
Help give each other an opportunity —
To break from our circle of overthinking,
To help each other to return to the present.
Then we can be free to see the world —
Unchained from our stress and anxiety,
Filled with hope and positivity,
Meeting real people, not obstacles.
— Luan V Dinh