He suffered for a long time
from arthritis.
He was a man of prayer.

He said often:
“Listen to the voice of your body!”

I used to rush headlong into the next
without listening to my body.
That’s why I was always unwell.

Praying may be listening to the body
where the soul dwells in.
Tender loving care of the body
may lead to a deep prayer.

Having always some ailments,
I now realize the meaning of his words.
If we listen to the body and
accept with gratitude what it says,
the healing may be given.

Saving grace is indwelling,
not always from above.
That I feel these days.

“Listen to the voice of your body!”
(June 24, 2021)

Teruko Yamakawa (translator)