sanctuaries

be it the barstool at a favorite watering hole

or a stretch of a path trod daily in silence,

an independent movie theater whose matinees attract only the dedicated,

time spent on a park bench in the overcast afternoon,

a table at a favorite café near the window,

a gym in which one works off steam,

the top of a mountain hiked up to on the weekends or

a stretch of the city bridge biked when its not raining,

there are places that one feels comfortable alone

(even if surrounded by others),

that hold a calming quality wherein the mind is allowed to

wander &

where no one can get in from the outside

even if they wanted to---

how fortunate are those of us who can still

push the rest of it all

completely out of the picture

to focus on ourselves &

appreciate the shortness of life

for exactly what it is,

in an instance of peace brought on by

our own doing.