As I move with my head thrown back ogling and staring in silence, catching those li’l holes of sunshine that escape the clutches of majestic ol’ trees; I feel the cold breath of a being graze my neck in a hurry. I yank my eye out of my camera’s square socket unnervingly thrilled at the weird encounter. Yes i’m usually the idiot who runs towards danger because even when i’m scared shitless; my tingly nerves on the edge make me feel the most alive, and they always lead to the best stories. This is what I live for half my life; and the rest you ask!? nursing the wounds and preparing for the next adventure.
The little jolt in my brain brings me back to that moment; the temperature dropped and leaves rustled as the giants woke up from their deep slumber huffing and puffing; they drew themselves to their full height and the wind panicked at the sudden development running amock. What had I done!? I merely was gawking at them and wondering how cool the wooden sitka stump would look as a coffee table in my apartment. There you go, now I know what I had done. I couldnt have behaved in any more ‘human’ way as I had done just there. I jilted the caretakers and they caught me with my pants down. I felt tiny not just in stature but the puniest thoughts I could concot.
hold that breath a li’l longer
They mumbled and jumbled and as I stood there waiting, eyes closed hoping to catch the full brunt of their years of angst, I heard a requiem like nothing I ever heard before. The leaves rustled as the giants started playing the harp. “Maybe they were just their branches in the wind”, I tried consoling myself, too shaken to even steal a peak. The breeze aided as she moved in tune to their harp, singing in her dulcet voice. Though feeble, she added this refined layer of warmth to their harps. The crickets chirped while the squirrels skittered around their trunks working in such great symphony that I felt not alone anymore. With this new found bravado, I raised my head and opened my eyes to see nothing more than the shimmer of lights move above me creating a dazzling display of silent fireworks against the skies. Astounded, I closed my eyes again and there…the music was back as if someone had unpaused it.
As they crooned in their ancient tongues; in reverence I stood there waiting letting go of all my fears, hugging the calm around me and praying they never stop. For, they gave me a glimpse of what a mother’s womb might have felt like.