Most mornings find me walking. It is my favorite way to start the day. And one of the things I do on these morning walks is to compose haikus. This seemingly simple but potentially profound form of poetry is particularly useful while walking because I can do it in my head. Today this exercise had an interesting ripple effect on my consciousness. As is often the case the first line just showed up (“I am made for joy”), and then I set to work filling in the next two lines. I began by trying to distinguish joy from happiness, but quickly realized that such an approach only resulted in saying what it wasn’t. That awareness then led me to an expansive declaration of where joy comes from (“a deep sense of connection / with everything”). When I got there I knew I had arrived, but what happened next was still surprising. My perception shifted. Time slowed down. Or perhaps it might be more accurate to say that for just a moment I was drawn outside of time altogether. I looked at the grass and knew that I was connected. The teasel next to the trail was part of me. The clouds and I were one. The tiny bits of gravel beneath my feet were not separate from me. I was in tune with the whole world. Such mystical experiences are familiar to me, but I am never in control of when and where and how they show up. This one was subtle, and it was relatively fleeting, and yet profound and timeless nonetheless. There is something quite breathtaking about such an experience, both deeply humbling and empowering all at the same time. I am one with the whole of the Universe. And so are you. Most of the time such an awareness eludes me, but occasionally I am gifted with a reminder, and for that I am always eternally grateful. And then, just as I was stepping back into the flow of time on this side of the veil, a second haiku showed up (this time almost immediately fully formed). “the whole world vibrates / and sometimes I can feel it / deep down in my bones” The ripples are flowing through me even now. Alhamdulillah!