By Walt Opie
“Be interested in whatever is happening!” –Sayadaw U Tejaniya
We are in silence.
I’m downstairs alone in the yoga room.
A fellow yogi comes in,
closes the door, kneels and begins
going through a box of various
gym objects.
She finds a jump rope
with wooden handles,
steps to the center
of the room, starts
skipping rope,
laughter spilling out of her.
She keeps going,
but not like a boxer
in training—
more akin to a kid,
jumping and stopping,
smiling to herself.
I lift 15lb weights
in my corner,
imagining her
some decades ago.
Later we eat lunch beside each other
in the dining hall
as if total strangers.
∞