Joy Martin

Mindfulness

I always feared the thief might come.
Genes, not choice, invited it in. Now
I’m trying to hold on and keep “up”.
I just want it out. I want it gone.
As soon as this thing is finally out
of my body this ordeal will be over.

With just a couple more CCs to inject,
the blonde, blue-eyed 30-something
hair streaked and smartly coiffed
looks normal, perky, indicating
her life’s tenuous foundation 
has not been severely shaken.

Me, I remain seated, still waiting
striving for a state of mindfulness
breathing in, breathing out.
Breath meandering, a determined
river flowing in and out
wishing this my Bodhi spot.

My monkey mind takes a rest and
while mindfulness caresses me,
I acknowledge the moment, this 
challenging moment, not before, not after.
This is my life. This is what there is.  Yet
enlightenment eludes me.

I realign myself to enable energy flow to
where nerves are cut, endings activated
in state of on with no view of off...
hoping to awaken positive feeling,
pleasure sensations, not only pain,
waiting for mindfulness’s next embrace.


Copyright 2025 by Joy Martin 

Bio:

Joy’s writings have been published in Muddy River Poetry Review, Midway Journal, Radical Teacher Journal, Ibbetson Street Press, Josie’s Trunk, and Blended Voices.  She serves on the board of the New England Poetry Club and is a member of The Poetry Society of Virginia and Newton Poetry.  Her poems explore multitudinous facets of life, including her and broader humanity’s place and challenges within it.

Donation Appeal:
To help victims of cancer and to help foster continuing research into this deadly disease, please consider donating to either The American Cancer Society or The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Thank you.

30 for 30 is sponsored by Potomac Review