Listening
The frigid air hit my lungs like a shock
in my nostrils with a pin prick to my brain
The first kiss of sunlight with a sepia shimmer
Flowers waving good morning with specs of color against the green hillside
The quiet solitude of the morning with only the presence of other runners, walkers and wanderers
No headphones,
No words
No music
My thoughts flow freely with me
then I listen
The sounds all around me amplify
My breath
My heels hitting the payment
Laughter as friends walk by
A muffled conversation from afar
Cars passing by on the highway
Birds chirping
Neighborhood dogs barking a hello
Hummingbirds chasing each other
Muscle cars and motorcycles
The wind as it caresses the palm fronds
then they dissipate
as my feet hit the sand with a soft whoosh and a whisper
The street noises disappear slowly
Slowly the waves become louder
like a beckoning
Water as it hits the sand
a gentle tug
The flapping wings of the gulls as they call
The shimmery reflection of the sun, sparkling for miles
My breath slows as I stop to take in the beautiful vastness of the ocean like it’s my personal gift from mother nature.