It was in a break between the heavy
rains this morning, there wasn’t much time.
I grabbed the leashes, I took my dogs for a walk. At 5:30 a.m. if you want to know the exact
time. In that space, the diffusion of the
misty air made the earth appear if it was under repair. As if somewhere in the night reality
struggled to repair itself. My dogs
however were not focusing on such thoughts.
As testified by the pull of the leash they longed for relief, and
discover the brave new world.
The atmosphere was heavy as I approached
the single arc light. One large overhead
halogen, that was what was used to light a nearby dog walking area. A central green pole holing a container of
100% biodegradable… poop bags. Though
right under the container is a sign warning
of a fine if pets are not picked up after, one still has to watch their footing.
I had just entered this set apart
sanctum when my eyes caught something.
On the ground a shadow moved. My
dogs immediately leapt to discover the unknown.
Though frustrated that the dogs were distracted from the business at
hand while I was getting wetter, I simply pulled tight leashes, holding them
back. Probably nothing more than a field
mouse I thought. Driven from the shelter
of a break of nearby thin and straining trees along a dirty stream, it had
sought out safety. That’s onl y
logical. That’s only the struggle for
life. I, like my dogs however, wanted to
try to figure out what it truly was. So
I tried to move closer. Slowly, and always
making sure the dogs were controlled. As
I passed near it, it however remained merely a morpious shape distorted by the
fractured haze that encompassed the ground.
Quietly it moved from the fraction of light towards the darkness, a sliver
of shadow that longed to meld back into its larger form. It made sense. So many things found comfort in the
dark. A refuge erected where it could
once again seek comfort in the void. I
could understand. Sometimes, for lack of
a better word, reality is harsh. It is
so much more enjoyable to linger in the comfort of the half-light.
As I would be gone most of the day, I
continued to walk my dogs. Naomi, the
older half-lab, began to act very curious as we approached a corner in the
buildings. The tension on the leash was
building. Her paws began to dig into the
ground tugging urgently for her to encounter what was hidden just behind the
wall. I was about to should “Heel” and
pull back on the leash she had already turned the corner and had begun to
excitedly bark and pull desperately at
the leash. At what? I am not certain. It could have been a possum, it could have
been a cat. All I caught was the
briefest glimpse of dirty white gray and mottled tan fur before it crashed into
the darkness provided by bushes. A
pulling back of the leash, and the dogs, though controlled, continued to
furiously sniff at the ground. Back and
forth a continual haunting searching for any clues as to what may be hiding in
the darkness before the mask of reality is securely fashioned and fixed by the
light of day.
And yet…
As always…
Whenever it rains like this, I always
think of her.
And I know, that however distant,
however far, however close, she…
Thinks of me.
In those fleeting moments before the
mask of reality is securely fashioned.
Oh, brother.... I was ready for a different ending.
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