We Are The Traffic
Stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, frustration boils over: “Ugh! This traffic!” Her friend replies, “Sharon, honey, we are the traffic.” How much life have I spent waiting and critiquing? Waiting for friends to ask. Critiquing their inaction. Waiting for my wife to notice. Critiquing the distance. Waiting for church and sangha to welcome me. Critiquing the communities I wanted to join. Meanwhile, I fail to ask, to notice, to welcome. Can I be the friend, be the spouse, be the community I want others to be? Someone has to be.
This poem grew out of a note I wrote after hearing Sharon Salzberg’s story:
My life, my relationship to the world changed when I realized I was actually part of it.
If this resonates, I’d love to hear from you. A comment, a share, or even just a like goes a long way. Writing into the void is its own practice, but knowing the work lands makes it easier to keep showing up.