The Waters We Swim In

(A reflection on mindfulness and social media)

The most powerful question I have ever heard
is “Where are you directing your energy?”

Every word, or thought, or image
that we add to our informational soup
becomes part of this sea of ideas
that we all swim and breathe in.

And just as our oceans
become befouled
with our waste,
so does our virtual sea
grow murky and toxic
with a million tokens
of emotional violence
tossed carelessly into its depths.

And just as the Earth, our Mother,
has graced us
with this beautiful and nurturing home,
so have we been gifted,
through own brilliance,
with this digital ocean,
in which we are privileged
to share a universe
of feelings and ideas.

So, as we drift
in our little boats of identity,
there is a chance for each of us,
as we toss our minds’ progeny
into the depths around us,
to pause, and wonder,
“If this were the only thing
that comprised this sea,
would these be the kind of waters
I would choose for myself
and those I love
to swim in?”