O.H.M.#20 - Savor This World, Savor This Life by Steve Taylor

O.H.M. is the acronym for Overtures Honoring Mindfulness, a collection of the written word that speaks to my heart, mind & soul.

Savor This World

Savor this world

because your ship only landed here by chance

on the shore of this strange island

in the middle of an empty ocean

and you can only stay here for a while

wandering these lush forests

eating these exotic fruits

until your ship sets sail again.

Savor this world

because you’re only a guest passing through this town

stopping off to visit some relatives on your way back home

not long enough to put down any roots

walking these foreign streets

nodding at passers-by — the locals, you presume,

But look more closely — everyone’s a traveler here.

Savor this life

because it’s passing away like a fast-flowing river

and there’s nothing to hold on to

no branches overhead to grasp

no bushes by your side to catch —

nothing to do but to swim with the flow

and lose yourself

in the roar and the rhythm and the rush.

Savor this life

because you’ve won the prize

the freedom of the city

the keys to the kingdom

a lifelong cruise through time and space

the honor of experience

the accolade of existence.

And one day you’ll have to give it back.

And when that day come you won’t feel any bitterness

only gratitude for the privilege of being

as long as you have lived in celebration

as long as you have lived in appreciation

as long as you have savored the world.