A Mantra of Life & Death

Tom Dylan


Notice of absence from Tom Dylan
*NO LONGER POSTING AS GETTING ERROR MESSAGE*
.

The brochure for the retreat

promised to give us

peace of mind and tranquility.

I was shown down to the main hall

and instructed to sit cross-legged

on the carpet.

 

You need to repeat a mantra, the guru said.

A word or phrase, to repeat to yourself,

for relaxation and to focus your mind.

There are lots of ancient words in Sanskrit

I will give you your own mantra.

 

I explained that I would prefer a term

I could comprehend, that I understood,

rather than repeat something

I didn't know the meaning of.

I'll give you until the end of the day,

my guru said,

if you don't have a mantra

by the morning,

I will give you a word to chant.

 

In the small bedroom chamber

that night,

on the hard single bed

I lay in the dark

and thought it over.

 

Names and phrases went around

and around in my mind,

lines from poems,

bits of film dialogue,

trying to find the perfect 

word or phrase to

use as my mantra.

And then I found it.

 

I repeated the words to myself.

Yes, it was perfect.

It spoke to me of relaxation,

of calm, of unwinding,

of switching off, 

and zoning out.

Just perfect.

 

The following morning, 

my guru found me in the retreat

kitchen, where I was eating 

my muesli and sipping green tea.

Good morning,

he said with a smile,

do you have your mantra?

Oh yes, I grinned.

And what have you decided on?

 

Strawberry Fields Forever.

I declared.

For a moment he said nothing,

closing his eyes and

trying my 60's psychedelic mantra

out for size.

Then he opened his eyes 

and nodded.

Perfect, he said.  

  • Author: Tom Dylan (Offline Offline)
  • Published: January 29th, 2024 03:50
  • Comment from author about the poem: I do try and meditate and practice relaxation techniques and have found that I prefer mantras that mean something to me.
  • Category: Unclassified
  • Views: 15
  • Users favorite of this poem: Accidental Poet
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Comments +

Comments8

  • Reynaldo Casison

    great tune, one of my fave beatles songs

    • Tom Dylan

      Completely agree. 🙂

    • Neville



      don't worry, just go with it .. it's a mantra thing ..

      • Tom Dylan

        Thanks mate. 🙂

      • Accidental Poet

        We all have to have meaning in what we do. Well penned Tom. 😉👍

        • Tom Dylan

          Thanks a lot, AP. Appreciated. 🙂

        • 2781

          I could get lost in that one!

          • Tom Dylan

            Thanks 🙂

          • Teddy.15

            LoL 🤣 something tells me that being a fly on the wall would be quite a treat. I couldn't think of anything more relaxing than that. Strawberry fields and all.

            • Tom Dylan

              Thanks Teddy. Strawberry fields forever! 🙂

            • Thomas W Case

              Fantastic work Tom, I relate.

              • Tom Dylan

                Thanks Thomas, appreciated.

              • Goldfinch60

                Any form of relaxation is great, mine is listening to music.

                Andy

                • Tom Dylan

                  Completely agree with you, mate.

                • Doggerel Dave

                  It's the way you tell 'em, Tom - had me in to the very end.
                  I would have preferred 'Succulent Green Grapes With Just a Touch of Dryness Fields Forever' but there you go, I expect its just a matter of taste.....

                  • Tom Dylan

                    Thanks, Dave. 🙂



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