a moment in time

What appears ordinary depending upon your perceptions. Worlds of wonders surround us if we only open our eye's to see

The Cats knew better than I that the morning was soon to come, or detected a miniscule change in my slumber. As I peered with eyes half closed through the darkness of my bedroom I detected a calming warmth laying across my back contentedly. My right arm moved to find a soft tail that could only belong to my little girl cat. As I repositioned myself again for comfort, she did so in kind, delicately lying her head back down with paws outstretched and reverting once more to a somnolent state.

Within less than a minute a bounding weight could be felt upon the bed indicating that my Russian blue had invaded our cozy space. Oblivious to my now awakened state, he curled next to me tightly embedding himself to my right side for warmth in the darkened room. It only lasted a moment before his curiosity was piqued and a familiar paw gently touched my face. I had been discovered and there was no turning back. I was on the way to the kitchen.

Two cans of food were opened on the counter top as I unlatched the dishwasher to fetch three, clean, food bowls. Dancing around my feet I laid a bowl in front of each of these unique creatures with my alpha cat claiming to be served first. I'd performed this ritual for over twenty years to differing feline faces and it always delighted me. For a few seconds I saw them all as kittens rolling upon each other to scurry towards their food. The fond memory quickly passed.

I put my walking shorts and top on and methodically tied the laces on my new shoes. With a turn to the thermometer to see a brisk 67 degrees I was out the door.

The moon still embraced this early hour and shone softly down upon me in full brightness, not warming my body but rather, my soul. I'm a creature of the night and probably always have been. I have taken delight in stars and meteor showers and feel an uplifting as the day turns to dusk. I have always, like my cats, stood beside the darkness as my friend and reveled in it. Silence and stillness are a delight for me where drama doesn't exist, only a lunar peace sprinkled with constellations that the Greeks thought so glorious that they told of their legends and gods in the shimmering lights. It was a scene upon a stage that had been repeated for centuries.

It had been a week since I had walked and tentatively started my stride with my once wounded left knee. As it absorbed the pressure of each step, I confidently increased my stride. My calves were not as gracious. The left contracted and the right elongated, sending signals of pain to my lower spine. As I moved to the center of the road it appeased the aching in my lower back but my legs were unaccustomed to the burden and fought against it. It wasn't until I had passed the first curve with the moon upon my left shoulder that both had commenced with their duty of locomotion.

Like myself, this darkened time was silent except for the croaking of the frogs from the pond and creek as my feet hit my well worn path in the familiar heel, toe fashion. I could finally breathe in the movement of cool air and perceive muted images against an ever-increasing lightening sky. As I turned once more, I again saw the moon, reassured that it had still taken precedence over the sun and was not to fully relinquish its glow yet. I continued in my reverie as my footsteps marched to their familiar pace and the pressure of the soft inclines were communicated to my thighs as the weight was shifted back and forth. I was almost to the halfway point.

With a burst of flashing lights and an acrid scent of fumes, my meandering thoughts were interrupted by the first school bus of the morning. It roared past on it's well practiced route to gather the children of the neighborhood that had replaced mine. I turned back to see it navigate the corner in which I already had just passed and disappeared on it's mission. I was once more alone.

As I proceeded back towards my home, the moon continued to bathe me in its light as the forms of the trees and banding on the road had found a familiar light. I was now able to comprehend the stark white of the farmhouse and barn on my left across the pond. They lay perched upon the hill and each sported green, tin roofs that matched the color of the fenced meadow below them. The pasture oaks branched low to the ground and I could now make out mutely defined figures of horses as they snorted their "Good Morning" to me in acknowledgement. The cattle still lay upon the ground with a soft lowing beneath the trees reminding one of a manger scene. As I passed the pond completely, I could see the herons in the sky above flying towards it with moonlight still tentatively touching their wings for their morning forays. I made another turn.

As I once more completed the near end of my morning routine I could see the sky in multiple colors of purple allowing the pink to engulf it. The moons luminescence was being stolen by the light of the impending Sun but still held its place staunchly in the sky. I was headed for my journey's end.

As I proceeded up my street I could find my body completely awakened and moving in a smooth, fluid-like motion with each muscle and tendon communicating in a harmonious rhythm. I had come upon one more day and I could feel a glint of light emanating from my eyes. As I once more entered the garage and opened the door to the kitchen, my mind set itself upon the tasks that once more lie before me. With a surety only given by grace, I approached the dishwasher and began to unload the contents.

Author's Note

Please feel free to critique. i'm a lot tougher than you think!