Adagio

I took the word
Injected it
In my arm under the skin
A reminder to stay steady
On the dermis of that limb
Everyday I saw it
And it became a part of me
To the point I didn't see
The meaning anymore
The letters there
Sealed on my wrist
I forgot that they were there
The tempo that was best for me
The steady walking pace
Resisted by the hummingbird
That is my waking mind
This morning in a moment
Of meditative pause
I glanced down
And saw the word
I'd based my new life on
The past days and weeks of worry
About my pace and time
Were in that moment paralyzed
Thrown into sharp relief
Reminding me that music
Is not about the double bar
It is the journey in the notes
That come beat by beat
Steady in their tempo
They float in the air
Momentum driven by the pulse
Of ancient frequencies
So I need to think of life
Much more along those lines
A walking steady pace
Will accomplish more in time
Than fits and bursts of speed
A building wave to manifest
The meaning I cling to
In the word that clings to me