PUPPY MIND My mind is like a puppy,
it likes to wander and explore.
If I don’t watch it carefully
it goes through any open door.
When my puppy mind is bored it runs
to the future and the past.
If I am not really careful,
it will take me far away super fast.
My puppy mind likes to dig up memories,
like when I got yelled at for not sharing my things.
My mind scampers to the future
and I don’t always like the pictures that it brings.
In class I try to listen to the teacher,
but my puppy mind starts to stir,
I quickly loose my focus,
and the day becomes a blur.
I get mad at my puppy mind,
“Why don’t you just sit and stay!”
but when I yell it gets scared
and hides or runs away.
My puppy mind only heels
if I take three slow deep breaths.
If I do it often enough,
I do feel calmer in my chest.
Practicing being patient,
is the best way to still my puppy mind.
I am learning to be my mind’s best friend
It responds best when I am kind.
So whenever I feel my puppy mind
tugging at my sleeve,
I try to remember
to breathe and breathe and breathe.
If I practice every day,
and remember to be kind,
I will have more fun being
with my best friend, my puppy mind.
Copyright © 2016 by Andrew Jordan Nance. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.