It happens regularly
I’m at a café
Could be one of five I patronize
And my friend and I are going at it
I’ll notice that glow
That wetness in the eyes
That voice shifting from 3rd to 6th gear
Just like that!
Something’s happening
The friend is “on”
On fire
In the groove
Taking off
Letting it rip
Soul naked for me to see and feel
Il faut des rites
Thus, Le Petit Prince
And so I’ll say
“You ever written about that?”
“You ever spoke to a group about that?”
“Oh, I guess your best friend
[or a mutual friend]
knows all about that, eh?”
No
No &
No
“Oh, really?” asked in a most engaged tone
“Would you like to share?”
Shock, incredulity, bafflement, suspicion
The person could be half my age
Or ten years older than me
But she has got the pearl of great price
Right there in her Antonio Machado heart
It is my mission
To encourage that person
“If you can tell me this
You can write it down
You can tell others
You can grace the World Wide Web
You can have dinner with us at Fatima’s
Or Jim and J’Ann’s or Sophia House
Or Andrew and Carol’s or 4514 Chouteau
Or the Aranda’s in Dogtown”
I can come up with a lot of intellectual categories
But it’s a very simple thing–
People risked enough to let me see their light
So I mirror that back
“Hey, that light needs to be seen
Your voice needs to be heard
Others will benefit”
(Secret bodhisattvas everywhere I look)
“I know someone will be touched
Consider it
All you need to do is tell few stories…”
He may not realize it
He may think
“Oh, there he goes
Pulling me out of my comfort zone”
But he’s pulling me out of mine
His light draws me
Shakes me
Reminds me—–
“Don’t waste your life”
–first Improv Wisdom Writing class
late February 2014
