This morning the sky changed. The wind came from a different direction than what I was used to, catching me by surprise and creating a sense of curiosity within me. The trees I walked under moved and swayed to the song of the wind, making for a lovely dance. The wind combed threw the branches and low lying bushes to grab up the dead and recently fallen, blowing them around in whirlwinds.
A curious thing to watch the wind. It’s true you cannot see IT but only what it DOES. My skin grows wrinkled and dry by it; my hair lifts and twirls falling into my eyes. “Don’t look at me, just feel me” it says, “I’ve come to wash off that which is dead and refresh you for a cold winter, to prepare you for a new spring. Your days of summer lying in a warm breeze will return, but first you must feel me against your face. Feel me hit your heart, swooping in deeper than any soap, cleansing your soul with hope renewed.”
Hope gets us through the winter. How sad for those in the dark age when the world seem a constant winter. Perhaps they had forgotten what spring flowers smelt like or the hot rays of the summer sun on their face. If winter last too long the heart will stay cold, frost bitten, hard.
Prayer
Fall wind please blow on me and release from me the dead and dying parts. Twirl them up to the sky, lay them on the ground, churn them into soil, all that death is good for.
Take those parts from me so that I might see spring again.
I will not forget the flowers
I will not forget the summer sun.
I will not forget the green grass and the lazy days lying beside a lover
Blow wind blow!
Do your worst so that my reward will be greater!
shannon p. laws 