halfway between heaven and earth,
for that is the space you occupy
in this mystery of human life,

allowing the mind to rest, just
for a moment, in stillness,
in openness.

You and I and all beings
everywhere want the same
things: to be happy,

to be well, to feel at ease,
to be free of suffering
and the causes of suffering.

I breathe this in for you;
you breathe this out for me,
linking us breath by breath,

happiness arising lightly,
joy skipping like a puppy
delighted to see you.

Scoop that joy into your
arms; let it wriggle into you,
drawing a smile across

your face, alighting in
your tender heart. I will
join you there in that

flowering instant,
blooming with kindness,
awash in love.

•••

(for Mary Sand and her puppy Louise, with love and thanks)