Our Time on Earth

What is our life on earth,
if not disovering, becoming conscious of,
penetrating, contemplating, accepting,
loving this mystery of God,
the unique reality that surrounds us,
and in which we are immersed
like meteorites in space?

Carlo Carretto

Indeed, what is our life on earth
   if not doing such things
      at least part of the time we’re here?
For me, Carretto’s words issue
   a continual wake-up call.
So much of the time
   I spend large parts of my days
      formulating my life on this earth
         by other standards:
   using my time “well,”
      getting projects done and done right,
         figuring out what lies ahead,
            protecting myself against eventualities.
My gerunds convict me:
   “using,” “getting,” “protecting.”
Corretto’s gerunds are entirely different:
   “becoming conscious,” “contemplating,” “loving.”
While I too easily focus on my small world,
   Carretto invites us to spend our time on earth
      pondering “the unique reality which surrounds us,
   and in which we are immersed
       like meteorites in space.”
He doesn’t tell us how to do that.
I believe one important way,
   one unbeatable way,
      is to take the time to see,
         every day.
To really, really see.