The day opened and closed, almost precisely 13 hours apart, with a double-dip in the pool. It’s been a very long time – years probably – since I’ve taken a swim before work, but on a day scheduled to up to 98 degrees, I thought it best to start off as cool as possible, and take that loveliness with me through the day.
A cat bird joined me for the morning dip, silently perched on the wooden fence beneath the seven sons’ flower tree. I recognized its silhouette, the jaunty way its back feathers turned up and the inquisitive tilting of its head. It didn’t sing so early in the morning, perhaps enjoying the hushed early hour as much as me.
Rise up this morning, smiled with the rising sun
Three little birds pitch by my doorstep
Singing sweet songs of melodies pure and true
Saying, “This is my message to you”
Already into the 80’s, the day looked to be an impossibly hot one, and the only way to trudge through it would be to take it slow, and keep this cool moment in mind. At some point in the summer, the heat will seep so deeply into everything – every place and every space – that it will be impossible to escape other than in one’s mind.
We were not yet there, and I will not complain at this early stage.
Singing, “Don’t worry about a thing
‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright”
Singing, “Don’t worry about a thing” (Don’t worry)
“‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright”
