there is a timeless meditation that asks:
can i accept myself just as i am?

i watch as this question enters my mind,
instantly the negotiations begin:

do you mean accept right now?
even my imperfections?
do you know the mess it is in here?

can i just tidy up a bit, refine myself…
to be more palatable for gods and neighbors alike?

for i have always seen myself as an improvement project,
never quite good enough - just as i am

Oh, what a curious state of affairs!
how did it get that way?

from the first heartbeat to the last
my life has been accepted to the Great Dance of Life
welcomed without hesitation

so i ask again… can i accept myself just as i am?

accept my body?
the capricious thoughts that come to visit me?
the gentle breezes and storms in the emotions?
and the endless monotony of my habits …

can i welcome it all?