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.