The Art of Doing Nothing

The Art of Doing Nothing

The boat glides past,
its passengers chasing schedules,
appointments, destinations.

Across the water,
shops open their doors,
phones ring,
lives hurry forward.

Yet beneath the sheltering branches,
one man has chosen differently.

He lies beside the canal,
a backpack for a pillow,
one arm shielding his eyes
from the summer sun.

Perhaps he is tired.

Perhaps he is dreaming.

Or perhaps he has discovered
a secret the rest of us keep forgetting:

that not every moment
must be productive.

The river does not rush.
The trees do not hurry.
The clouds ask for nothing.

For a little while,
he belongs to the afternoon,
and the afternoon belongs to him.

As the boat passes by,
the water carries reflections downstream.

But he remains still,
collecting something far more valuable—

peace.

What do I see?

A reminder that rest is not laziness.

Sometimes the bravest thing we can do
is stop moving long enough
to remember who we are.

#WhatDoYouSee
#WDYS

With love, coffee, poetry, and stardust,

— Maggie The Afterlove Voice 💫

If you want a reading, send me an email:

Afterlove-Voice@hotmail.com