Ease After the Whirlwind: Claiming Your Heartfulness

The Storm Within

I’ve been a whirlwind of thoughts —
blood flushing, muscles drained.
A stiffness clung like debt,
a wrench lodged where ease should be.
Breath felt borrowed,
and every glance in the mirror reminded me of the storm inside.
Even the smallest tasks weighed heavily, as if the world had stacked itself upon my chest.

The Persistent Ache

For two days it sat,
a stye against my chest.
A sting that learned my name,
a knot looping tighter,
a wakefulness too awake to rest.
I traced its edges with my fingers,
hoping pressure might undo the tension,
while words alone could not soothe the ache.
However, nothing shifted immediately. Only patience and self-compassion could loosen it.

Claiming Care

Enough now, you stubborn fool.
Let this one soften.
Let it soothe.
From now on, care belongs to me alone.
For too long it was squandered
on hands that proved untrue,
on mouths that promised and vanished,
on hearts that could not carry me.

Letting Go

I lay down the weight of expectation.
The hum of the world fades into background noise.
Even the judgment of the passing crowd cannot reach me.
They cannot know what I have carried.
Therefore, I will not carry theirs.

Finding Heartfulness

I leave the stride behind.
The buzzing crowd dissolves.
Their sins remain theirs to bear.
What remains is mine —
a small, unbroken heartfulness.
Finally, I welcome ease.
It seeps into my muscles,
into the quiet between thoughts,
into the pulse beneath chaos.

Ease as Permission

Ease is permission to rest,
to soften, and to reclaim what is mine.
It is gentle but unwavering.
A heartbeat reminds me:
I am still here.
I am still whole.
I am still allowed to breathe.
Meanwhile, I notice small joys: sunlight brushing my arms,
the quiet rhythm of my heartbeat,
a slow exhale that finally feels like release.

Carrying the Lantern

Ease is no longer an abstract hope.
It is tangible, present, and mine to nurture.
I carry it forward like a lantern through the dark.
Every thought no longer a storm,
every breath no longer borrowed.
Even after the whirlwind, I remain unbroken,
whole, and unshakeably alive.