Poet’s Corner: Monday Night Yoga

I’m flat on my back
my heels spread as wide as the mat
my fingers stretch like star shapes

my palms face up because I’m
trying to be open and at peace
I’m trying to welcome news things
like change and balance

but the man next to me is sleeping
through his shavasana and snoring
so loud I can’t count my breaths
or empty my mind or be grateful

I turn to him and whisper be here now
but he is somewhere else

and now I roam

thinking how earlier that day
I sped up over a hill
slammed on my breaks
to let a guy j-walk his dog across the street

he never once looked my way
no wave or acknowledgment I could have hit him

how strange it would be to die
without meeting your killer’s eyes
at least once

I’m back on the mat
because I’m told to wiggle my toes
the man stops snoring
I’m told to lay in a fetal curl
my face between my knees

I begin to tally-up the things I love
including the man beside me –
I don’t know him
but I’m supposed to create space for new things

I open my eyes          
smile and nod at the man

he scratches the inside of his nose
and walks away

I roll up my mat
tuck it under my arm
thinking more about the guy and the dog
wondering where they were going

Top photo: Bigstock

Share This Post:

Bluesky Icon Bluesky
Facebook

About her poem, Robin Clark says, “America is a new America. The future is unknown, but I do feel hope. I do believe in us…it’s just the hoops we are yet to jump through, to…

Spring is here and the weather is getting warmer! Marsha Solomon celebrates with a poem and artwork. Enjoy!

When Laura Vogt discovered that Minnie Hoopes, one of the first female homesteaders in Oklahoma, was her great-great-grandmother, she knew she had to write about this amazing woman. “In the Great Quiet” is fiction but…

Louise Erdrich’s fans are in for a treat. The short stories in “Python’s Kiss” are beautiful, thought-provoking, and unexpected. Several appeared earlier in The New Yorker. If you missed them, this is your chance to…

Like so many of us, Marsha Solomon does Tai Chi every morning. She says, “I really think this exercise brings lots of benefits for heath and it is not stressful.”

In “Every Day I Read,” Author Hwang Bo-Reum gives 53 reasons why she loves to read.

Poet’s Corner – The American Way

About her poem, Robin Clark says, “America is a new America. The future is unknown, but I do feel hope. I do believe in us…it’s just the hoops we are yet to jump through, to return to national decency, which alarms me.”

read more

Considering Ice Baths for Anxiety? A Cautious, Compassionate Overview

Anxiety can make almost any promise of relief feel worth looking into. When stress sits in your chest, your thoughts race, or your body feels stuck on high alert, it makes sense to wonder whether something intense and physical might interrupt that cycle. Some people become curious about ice baths for anxiety because cold exposure is often described as energizing, mood-shifting, or mentally clarifying. That interest is understandable. Still, the research is not strong enough to say

read more

Best Girls’ Night Out Ideas in NYC That Actually Feel Worthwhile

Planning a night out in New York City should feel exciting, but it often ends up being predictable. The same crowded bars, long lines, and overpriced cocktails can quickly turn what should be a fun experience into something forgettable.  When you’re organizing a birthday, a bachelorette party, or simply a long-overdue girls’ night out, expectations are higher. You want energy, connection, and something that actually brings everyone together. That’s why more women are starting to

read more

Why Discerning Women Are Choosing Private Safaris Over Group Travel

There has been a noticeable and profound shift in how women are approaching international travel. When the objective is no longer merely to take a brief vacation, but to step into an environment that feels grounding and genuinely transformative, standard tourism simply falls short. For decades, group travel filled this role because it offered a predictable, structured way to navigate destinations that initially felt unfamiliar or distant. However, expectations have evolved. The rigid structure that

read more
You've loaded all available articles in this category

Poet’s Corner – The American Way

About her poem, Robin Clark says, “America is a new America. The future is unknown, but I do feel hope. I do believe in us…it’s just the hoops we are yet to jump through, to return to national decency, which alarms me.”

read more

Considering Ice Baths for Anxiety? A Cautious, Compassionate Overview

Anxiety can make almost any promise of relief feel worth looking into. When stress sits in your chest, your thoughts race, or your body feels stuck on high alert, it makes sense to wonder whether something intense and physical might interrupt that cycle. Some people become curious about ice baths for anxiety because cold exposure is often described as energizing, mood-shifting, or mentally clarifying. That interest is understandable. Still, the research is not strong enough to say

read more

Best Girls’ Night Out Ideas in NYC That Actually Feel Worthwhile

Planning a night out in New York City should feel exciting, but it often ends up being predictable. The same crowded bars, long lines, and overpriced cocktails can quickly turn what should be a fun experience into something forgettable.  When you’re organizing a birthday, a bachelorette party, or simply a long-overdue girls’ night out, expectations are higher. You want energy, connection, and something that actually brings everyone together. That’s why more women are starting to

read more

Why Discerning Women Are Choosing Private Safaris Over Group Travel

There has been a noticeable and profound shift in how women are approaching international travel. When the objective is no longer merely to take a brief vacation, but to step into an environment that feels grounding and genuinely transformative, standard tourism simply falls short. For decades, group travel filled this role because it offered a predictable, structured way to navigate destinations that initially felt unfamiliar or distant. However, expectations have evolved. The rigid structure that

read more
You've loaded all available articles in this category