The Rules (A Morning Poem)

1.  treat every morning as if it is the first and the last

2. drink coffee as if embezzling its nectar for some sacred purpose

3. walk as if planets align with each footstep; and remember that this, too,
is a form of prayer

4. feed the crows—and don’t forget to compliment them
on their bewitching haircuts

(this requires no further explanation)

5. open yourself such that a sunrise fills your marrow with wonder

6. be a student of these forgotten arts:
looking, listening, and standing still

each of these is a door to the cosmos

7. be mellow. water the plants and crease the sheets with intention

8. enter into morning rituals as if petitioning the gods

9. do not invite your mind into the quiet hours with you

10. practice the art of disbelief. in a word, “hummingbird”

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