Holding Space (Meditation and Poem)

What does it mean to hold space for someone, to give them the time and breathing room to accept a difficult situation?

I found this bench the other day, on a cold foggy morning, just a plank screwed into two upright cinder blocks, but it was enough that when I sat down, a complete stranger walked up and shared it with me, on her way somewhere, a brief human interaction, full in a way that many things are not full these days.

We may never be made whole, but sometimes we can hold space for someone else:

Holding Space

I hold your hand,
and I hold a hot mug
of coffee while walking
across the room
without tripping, so why
not hold pure space,
globs of atmosphere
the size of a balloon
or a bolster pillow?

I’m going to make
you a whole batch
of nothing, with an
extra dollop of empty,
and sprinkles on top
you barely notice.

We like to leave
our mark; let’s not.

My love is infinite
but not so crucial,
I can’t put it aside
for the afternoon,
or the next year,
so you can step
into the void
beside the fireplace,
(about the size
of Belarus),
and inhabit it
like a meadow
as long as you need to.