This Is Peace

This Is Peace

I spend a lot of time alone,
And most days, I prefer it.
So much lives in my heart and my mind—
Unwritten prayers, unspoken truths,
A hunger to release it all,
To put it on paper,
To taste my own words,
To hear my soul breathe.

I long for peace—
That ever-elusive stillness
In the chaos of my thoughts.
My mind tries to take over,
Crowding me with useless noise,
But I push back, whispering,
God, clear my mind and heal my heart.

I see myself there—
Bare feet sinking into warm sand,
The tide kissing my ankles
As the ocean inhales and exhales
In rhythm with my chest.
Salt hangs in the air,
Cool and crisp,
As the waves slap the rocks
And the mist blesses my skin.
This is peace.

But I am not there.
I am here—
In my backyard sanctuary.
I hear the trees,
The soft rustle of leaves,
The front-yard chimes clanging bold,
The back-yard ones tinkling light,
All blending into a hymn
That only the wind knows.

I close my eyes,
And I am everywhere.
The gift of my mind is vast,
A universe all its own—
But why do I wrestle it?
Why do I resist
The stillness already waiting
Inside me?

Perhaps peace
Has been here all along,
Whispering in the trees,
Breathing in the chimes,
Resting quietly
In me.