Murakami's Well

Flying fish and talking cats

are the types of things

you think about

when you're navel gazing

down in a

deep dark well.

This is no ordinary existential crisis.

The dream-like dance

of ideas and shifting metaphors

blurs the boundaries

between reality and fantasy.

Ideas are opiates

and thoughts are mental activity,

the Murakami protagonist

calmly reminds himself,

as he plans his escape.

He starts to collect

the sticks and stones

that were thrown at him

over the course of his lifetime

to build a ladder.

Step by step,

he slowly scales the ladder,

until he leaves the well....

at least for now.

Greg Graber, the author of "Slow Your Roll — Mindfulness for Fast Times," is a mental performance and leadership coach. More information about him is on his website: www.greggraber.com.