Via Basel: Planning and Praying

Photo by Mitch Dobrowner

I don’t subscribe to a very structured life at this stage in my life. Still out of necessity or habit I continue to plan to fill some voids here and there. Recently, in the last few days and weeks, several incidents, accidents, and unwelcome events have upended what few plans I had. A poem from one of my favorite authors, Mark Nepo, captured my feelings, mood, and inspired me. I love it not only for its brevity and wit, but also how it ends. It turns disappointment and frustration into the joy of giving and loving. In that spirit, I share it with you my reader.

Praying I Will Find

I used to have so many plans, good plans,

grand plans. In the beginning, I would be

annoyed by the calamities I’d meet along

the way that would keep me from my plans.

I used to pride myself on how I could get

back on track so quickly. But the more I

loved and the more I suffered, the more

my plans were interrupted by those in

need.

Eventually, the call of life, unexpected

and unrehearsed, made swiss cheese of

my plans.

Now, like an emperor undressed by time,

I wander the days naked of plans, praying

that I will find love to give and suffering

to heal before the sun goes down.

From: The Half-Life of Angels

By Mark Nepo

Freefall Books 2023

Mark Nepo’s Website

Mark Nepo’s poem at Spirituality + Health

Basel Al-Aswad, father of EIL founder Christopher Al-Aswad, is a yogi trapped in an Orthopedic Surgeon’s body. His loves in life include reading, writing, hiking, enjoying nature, meditation, and spending time with his large Iraqi family; now, semi-retired, he is exploring new avenues in medicine, education, public speaking, teaching, and social engagement.