The following is inspired by:

“Here and there, a towering, lonely figure never cries defeat”

“Autobiography of a Yogi” Paramahansa Yogananda  pg 49, line 6

Here and there, a towering, lonely figure never cries, they just hold it all in. 
Trudging through life, going through the motions, never pausing to-- just let it out, let it go.
I want to shout at all of them,
  
"drop the rope, just drop the fucking rope. You need to feed your heart and soul first! " 

Maybe I would get through to some one- 
I try to center again by focusing on the tickle of the cool verdant grass on my unshod feet, but I can feel it threatening, to swallow me up. 
Like dirty dishwater colored Oobleck, it advances slowly, seeping into everything in its path.
Right before my eyes, the volume of colors, sounds, smells, creation is muted leaving a dull hum of regret, sadness, resignation in its wake.  
Silencing grey-goo threatens my slice of Solace. 
I choose not to succumb but instead, to throw my heart & soul wide open and smile!
Wiggling my toes in the grass, I stand and twirl! 
Young & old, rich & poor, every glorious shade of humanity-- I smile at them all!
The gray goo halts, a genuine smile from a passerby, impales it!
A tutu clad little girl begins to spin, unbridled laughter explodes from her dad, the goo tries to retreat,
  
"Mon, dadee, pin wif me peas" 

It is stopped dead in its tracks as the dad stands- 

"POOF!" the Oobleck disappears as the father scoops up his daughter and spins!

Squirrels scamper, birds chirp, lovers love-. 
Collective sadness is supplanted by joy. 
Loud laughing, squealing, trilling, kissing, joyful, peace returns-
I am whole again.

Written 2/24/2021, Reformatted 1/2024