James Osben Mindfulness and Poetry

James Osben Mindfulness and Poetry I am a trained mindfulness practitioner and I write poetry.

I’m currently undertaking a MSc Studies in Mindfulness and researching the use of Mindfulness Based Interventions in mental health for the benefit of patients and for staff.

Before the Quiet ComesBefore the quiet comes,the mind stirs like wind tossed waterthoughts rushing, tumbling,foam tipped...
14/11/2025

Before the Quiet Comes

Before the quiet comes,
the mind stirs like wind tossed water
thoughts rushing, tumbling,
foam tipped and frantic,
all urgency and echo.

Unfinished moments from yesterday
creep back in the dark,
sitting heavy in corners,
growing shadows on the walls
where rest should be.
They fester, whisper,
stretch themselves larger than truth,
feeding the early hour silence
with their fevered chatter.

I lie awake in the thin light
before dawn remembers its name,
feeling the weight of what is unresolved,
how it presses on mood,
on breath,
on the soft animal of the heart.

Then, gently,
I recognise the swirl.
Not fighting,
not falling,
just noticing.
Awareness enters like a lantern,
steady handed,
a quiet friend arriving
to sit beside the storm.

I breathe.
Slow.
Deep.
Present.
Watching thoughts roll through
like weather I no longer fear.
Clouds pass when given sky.

And in this mindful settling,
the mind softens,
the waters clear,
the pulse steadies.

What felt endless
is already loosening its grip.
What felt permanent
is already changing shape.

This will pass,
as all storms do,
and in its leaving
I remember
that calm was never gone,
only waiting
to be noticed again.

By James Osben

11/11/2025

True story.

AcceptanceAcceptance is not surrender,nor drifting with the tide,it’s the soft and steady turningtoward the life that wa...
09/11/2025

Acceptance

Acceptance is not surrender,
nor drifting with the tide,
it’s the soft and steady turning
toward the life that waits inside.

It’s noticing the quiet whispers
of “not this” beneath the skin,
the thoughts that fight the moment,
the breath held tight within.

But when I pause and soften,
something subtle starts to shift,
the need to fix or flee dissolves,
the heart begins to lift.

The breath returns to centre,
warm and spacious in its flow;
emotions pass like weather,
arriving fast, then letting go.

Acceptance doesn’t cure the pain,
but eases what surrounds,
it lays a path of gentleness
across uncertain ground.

And in that space of kindness,
I find courage taking root:
to welcome what is happening,
to meet it resolute.

So here I stand, in presence,
not forcing life to bend;
each moment held with tenderness,
each breath a quiet friend.

Poem by James Osben

03/11/2025

👀👇 I’m in the wonderful production.

Autumn Morning Drive Along the A380 I glide,Where drizzle veils the morning tide,And silver threads of rain descend,To m...
03/11/2025

Autumn Morning Drive

Along the A380 I glide,
Where drizzle veils the morning tide,
And silver threads of rain descend,
To meet the road that twists and bends.

The sky wears grey, soft, quiet, wide,
Yet autumn flames on either side;
Gold whispers through the hedgerows’ hair,
And scarlet sings in cool, still air.

The M5 hums its steady tune,
Beneath a shy, reluctant moon;
Then onward to North Devon’s way,
Through fields that dream of yesterday.

The rolling hills in emerald rest,
Their shoulders cloaked in nature’s vest,
While every leaf, a fleeting spark,
Defies the sky’s unyielding dark.

And in this motion, heart and rain,
I find the peace I can’t explain;
No grand design, no need to strive,
Just this, I’m here, I’m warm, alive.

Grateful breath, a whispered prayer,
For every road that leads me there.

Poem by James Osben

🕊️ ❤️ In My Heart, Always ❤️ 🕊️ I remember the first time we met,Paired in PE, a moment I won’t forget.I was anxious, un...
04/10/2025

🕊️ ❤️ In My Heart, Always ❤️ 🕊️

I remember the first time we met,
Paired in PE, a moment I won’t forget.
I was anxious, unsure, and a little shy,
But then you held my hand, and the fear passed by.

From that day on, we were quite the pair,
Through every laugh and every care.
Your wicked humor, your brilliant grin,
Made the world brighter, where to begin?

You shaped who I am, from the very start,
Now with you gone, a piece of my heart
Is missing, but you’re never far away,
I hear your laugh with me every day.

Kind, caring, funny, and true,
The best of humanity shone through you.
Though you’re gone, I feel you near,
In memories cherished, you still appear.

Gone but never forgotten, my dear friend,
In my heart, you’ll never end.
Happy heavenly birthday, I miss you so,
I love you always, more than you know.

Poem James Osben (for my best friend Davina)

Just beNo past to chase, no future to fear,Only this breath, now crystal clear.The tick of time, a fading sound,Replaced...
20/09/2025

Just be

No past to chase, no future to fear,
Only this breath, now crystal clear.
The tick of time, a fading sound,
Replaced by stillness all around.

The mind, once wild, now gently sways
Like trees that yield to sunlit haze.
No need to fix, no need to flee,
Just be the sky, the cloud, the sea.

A teacup warm within your hand,
The feel of earth, the grains of sand.
A sparrow’s call, a rustling leaf,
These moments hold the world’s relief.

No anxious scripts, no inner war,
No tally kept of less or more.
The breath comes in, the breath goes out,
What once was fear now fades to doubt.

And in its place, a subtle grace,
A quiet smile upon your face.
You see anew, without the race,
That life is here, not some far place.

This is the gift, the sacred art,
To feel each beat within your heart.
No grasping, striving, heavy load,
Just walking gently on the road.

Just breathing in, just breathing out,
The world no longer cast in doubt.
No need to run, no need to roam,
Each breath, each step, already home.

Poem by James Osben

“The Quiet Abundance”Abundance is not always gold,Nor riches stacked in towers bold.It’s in the breath we did not earn,T...
19/09/2025

“The Quiet Abundance”

Abundance is not always gold,
Nor riches stacked in towers bold.
It’s in the breath we did not earn,
The sun that rises in return.

It’s in the morning’s softened light,
A robin’s song at edge of night,
The laughter shared, the love that stays,
The peace in long-forgotten days.

It’s in the kindness freely given,
The second chance, the grace, forgiven.
A steaming cup, a warm embrace,
A moment held in still, sweet space.

It’s in the hands that reach, not take,
The hearts that bend but never break.
In nature’s bloom, the ocean’s roar,
In open arms, in unlocked doors.

We are not poor, though coins be few,
When skies are vast and dreams are true.
When stories dance in fireside glow,
And children teach us what we know.

So pause and see, the world is wide,
With miracles we hold inside.
To live, to love, to simply be,
Is wealth beyond what eyes can see.

Abundance hums in wind and rain,
In joy, in tears, in loss, in gain.
Let gratitude become your song,
You’ve had the truth within all along.

Poem by James Osben

Lifeline In the blur of days that rush us by,We can easily miss a silent cry,The smile that hides a breaking heart,The s...
10/09/2025

Lifeline

In the blur of days that rush us by,
We can easily miss a silent cry,
The smile that hides a breaking heart,
The soul that’s slowly torn apart.

So pause a while, and gently ask:
“How are you, friend?” a simple task.
But wait, don’t rush, just hold the space,
Let kindness soften every face.

A listening ear, a heartfelt word,
Can be the light, the hope that’s heard.
A lifeline cast in stormy seas,
A moment’s grace, a breath, a breeze.

Check in with friends, with kin, with all,
No matter how the voices fall.
Don’t walk on by, don’t turn away,
Be someone’s strength, their break of day.

The world is messy, loud, and fast,
But love and care are made to last.
So let compassion lead the way,
Not just today, but every day.

Poem by James Osben





Kids of a different eraWe didn’t have filters, just freckles and sun,Grass stained knees from the days we’d run.Out the ...
30/08/2025

Kids of a different era

We didn’t have filters, just freckles and sun,
Grass stained knees from the days we’d run.
Out the door after toast and tea,
“Be back by dark!” and we’d roam wild and free.

We built dens with pallets and bits of old sheet,
Turned alleyways into a bustling street.
Our swords were sticks, our bikes were steeds,
We planted our dreams like dandelion seeds.

We pressed record when the DJ spoke,
Taped our voices with a giggle or joke.
Cassette in hand, we’d make our shows,
With sound effects and radio prose.

We made our own fun, no tablets in sight,
Just torch lit whispers deep into night.
A blanket, a sofa, a VHS tape,
‘From Time Bandits to Willow’ our great escape.

We rang doorbells, not phones,
just turned up to play,
Knocked three times and then ran away.
We climbed up trees and jumped down stairs,
Told ghost stories in sheds with mismatched chairs.

We toasted marshmallows on fires we’d made,
Bikes in a circle, secrets conveyed.
We swapped stickers, cards, and sweets with pride,
Bartered our toys, with no need to hide.

We rode without helmets, hands off the bars,
Mapped out the cosmos with dreams and stars.
Our maps were made of guesses and chalk,
Our journeys told in miles of talk.

We called our mates from a box on the street,
With pockets of 10ps and freezing feet.
We wrote down numbers in notebooks worn,
Hearts drawn in biro, pages torn.

We passed notes folded in secret code,
Declared who we fancied in a glittery ode.
Our crushes were scribbled in Tippex-white,
On pencil cases we’d cherish every night.

We knew the thrill of a Top 40 chart,
Of dancing alone with a full burst heart.
We weren’t chasing likes, we just chased the beat,
In kitchens and bedrooms on sugar rushed feet.

We didn’t pose, we were the scene,
In mismatched socks and faded jeans.
We were loud, alive, unsure, and true,
With bruises to prove the things we’d do.

Now the world is shiny, fast, and wide,
But somewhere those kids still live inside.
And sometimes, when the WiFi’s down,
You’ll hear them laughing, running round town.

So here’s to the glow of our untamed youth,
Lit by laughter, by wonder, by unfiltered truth.
We didn’t need proof, just moments to spend,
And memories made that don’t need to trend.

Poem by James Osben

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Newton Abbot

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