Park Bench

She sat in the middle of the park bench, waiting to hear her own voice, but she just couldn't hear it. Her mind was busy, jumping around like a hungry frog: “I need to get potatoes for dinner”, “I need to pay that gas bill”, “What time is it? I mustn’t be late”…busy, busy, busy. She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to ignore its constant chatter.

She took a deep breath in and then exhaled, controlling the breath, slowing it down. A dog barking behind her, the passing conversation of two businessmen, a plane passing by overhead, feet crunching on the gravel, a ball bouncing. Noise. She took another breath in, relishing the smell of cut grass. A police siren screaming out behind her, loud and aggressive, jabbing at her ear drums. She opened her eyes again briefly, and then closed them.

Another deep breath, slowly exhaling and then another. The sun broke through the clouds, flooding her face with light, its warmth relaxing her. She breathed again, slowly in, slowly out…slowing it all down, quietening her mind. The noise around her was beginning to blur, becoming less of a distraction, more a hum, she was separating from it all now. Sunlight streamed onto her face, and eyes closed she continued to wait for that quiet voice she heard only rarely. That peaceful loving wisdom that was so often drowned out by the distractions of the world.

It wasn’t a voice really, it was more a feeling. A feeling that came from within, that permeated every cell of her body. It was to her, a source of power and strength, that she so often forgot to switch on, living in the real world. The real world had a rhythm, a pace, a beat that banged on like a marching army. It wasn’t in time with her inner rhythm which was soft and flowing like a delicious mountain stream. She breathed in and out again, feeling softer now, releasing herself from tension of the world and opening up to the connection with herself, once more. The rhythm was gentle, was soft, was soothing and it spread throughout her body. She felt okay, she felt calm, she felt peaceful again. The feeling of being alive, of being loved, of being happy, of peace and contentment swept over her. And she felt without any doubt, that life was meant to be fun. She smiled and opened her eyes. The park seemed so much greener than it had before, so lush now, full of energy and life.
Another siren sliced through the air and glancing at her watch, she realised that her lunch break was over. She stood up from the bench and resumed her day, leaving the seat warm with her presence.