If you have been reading my book, Dancing with Elephants:Mindfulness Training For Those Living With Dementia, Chronic Illness or an Aging Brain, you will know this page is for Elephant Dancers to post their poems about letting go. The point is not to worry about if the poetry is good or bad. Rather this is a mindfulness training to help those learning the art of dancing with elephants to work at practices of letting.
To post your content simply go to the comment section below and post.
To show you what even bad poetry can be deeply healing I will go first and post my poem on letting go.
Letting Go
How deeply can I let go of entitlement?
Can I let go of entitlement to work?
To status
To being productive
To right livelihood
To gainful employment
To forms of vocation
Can I let go of the entitlement to body control?
To controlling movement of limbs
To controlling bladder and bowl
To looking “normal”
To eating quietly and cleaning
To a voice that is respected
Can I let go of entitlement to emotional stability?
To controlling anger
To a predictable response
To understanding my own responses
Can I let go of the entitlement to self-reliant transportation?
To drive a car
To ride a bike
To walk long distances
Can I let go of the entitlement to be accepted by others?
to smiles from strangers
to lovemaking with my lover
to gratefulness of students
to being asked for help
Can I let go of entitlement to time?
To a future
To grandchildren
To being at a child’s wedding
To memory
Some entitlements are harder to give up than others
Yet it is not our entitlements that make us human
But rather Creators gift of a still fragile life
On the other side of entitlement, lies more joy than sorrow
How do I get to the other side?
Go ahead and post yours in the comments below. I dare you.
