HOW LOVELY

How lovely to sit with you
with no plan in this moment
no expectations
just flow
organic conversation
emerging from a thread of a thread
moments before.

How lovely to share
word after word
sentence after sentence
thought after thought
story after story.

How lovely to share me with you
and for you to give me
the most precious
gift of all,
the gift of your presence,
your undivided attention
your eyes on me, listening with all of you.
Sometimes I'm still surprised by such a gift,
when I'm now used to sharing
with one's eyes
elsewhere,
anywhere but here,
empty presence, if you will.

And sometimes I am overwhelmed
by the precious gift of your presence
and
I falter,
for a moment,
and then I'm back with you,
In this moment
with our fullest attention.

How lovely to sit with you
and not feel rushed,
and to know that I don't have to edit my story down,
and down,
and down,
to the bones,
leaving all the juicy stuff out,
because I can see your eyes,
your presence,
wander away,
to your phone
or over my shoulder,
already onto the next thing
although you are in front of me
in conversation, like so many do.

How lovely that you shared with me
 the precious gift of presence.
Your presence
with me.
In this moment.
And the next and the next.

How lovely to briefly wonder
if you have something to do
some place to be
in a moment or two,
or in an hour
or three,
but not know,
for your eyes
did not wander
to your phone
or to the door,
or anywhere but here.

How lovely to know that maybe
you had a something to do,
or a somewhere to be,
but you did not bring the future here
 between the present, the presence of us.
How lovely to wonder, but not know.

How lovely to sit with you
and for you to share with me
pieces of you
moments of yesterdays
moments of joy
of beauty
of sorrow
of pain.
And be with it all,
together,
in these moments.

How lovely to sit with you
and me
and to be so very present. With you
and me.
Not bothering about the next thing and the next.
Giving each other the gift of attention
so precious
such a coveted commodity.
This, I realized I craved so much,
so very clear
by the tears,
gently forming
in my eyes
as I breathe
as I type.

How lovely to see me as I saw you.
Delighted
interested
immersed.
In the flow
of you and me.
Following
the meandering, wandering, wondering, curves and swerves
of my mind
and yours.
On the same page
the same road
the same journey
in this moment,
in these moments.

I yearn for moments
like these.
I cherish
I treasure
and am so very grateful for
these moments.

How lovely to sit with you
in this moment
with your gift of absolute presence.

How so very lovely.

© Jackie L Hutchings