Enlightened Dawn

The moonlight fell like dancing fairies onto her cool skin; her fine hairs greedily reaching upwards to meet its glow, pulling the surrounding flesh taut with anticipation. Her breath expanded in front of her face in a misty haze, and slipped and spilled into the fog that filled the morning meadow. She watched with gentle curiosity as the tangerine sun lazily rose from his slumber below the proud and stoic westward hills. The ever patient luna guardian waited for her watch to end; tenderly whispering her morning call to her radiant friend, as a mother to a rousing babe. The rays of the rising sun trickled across the field, dancing in the mist, warming the chilled air.

She ran a finger through the damp grass that kissed and wrapped her splayed legs; collecting droplets of cool water that pooled, glistened and dropped from her fingertip. The distant lapping of the stream, which had held only the company of the gentle cicada chirp in it’s pre-dawn orchestra, called to it’s flying friends to wake and join its tune. The barn owl hooted its knowing call from an ancient oak, and led a rise of gentle tweets from his brethren in neighbouring trees.

“Wake up my friends” he seemed to call, “My night watch is done, bring your sweet tune to the morning air without fear. Our symphony continues as it has ever done, come now to your positions to bring in the rising day.”

She watched the wise owl; without thought, without plan or ambition. She breathed this day in, without aspiration or motivation. She knew that though we led this world by the drawstring or our myopic desire, that this design had existed before and beyond, and far outshone our most ambitious imaginings. That the balance and knowing each human craved and grasped at, existed and persisted silently, unfazed by our illusions of control.

“Good morning, my dear friend,” the owl whispered through the wind, “we’ve been waiting for you to see. Sit wrapped in our paradise, nestled warm in the knowing of more. Welcome home, my sister, spread your joy within and throughout, and know that you are right where you need to be. Rise gently like the oak, breathe calmly like the morning breeze, love purely like the watchful moon.”

She rose from the glistening grass, steadfast and unafraid, tender bare feet connected through the earth to the roots of knowing trees. She felt the world of men nip at her calm; plans and worries slipping through the net of her newfound peace. She glimpsed toward the oak, afraid of losing the paradise found, and was met with kind and knowing eyes.

“You’ve seen it now, dear friend,” the wise owl consoled, “let those worries flow without fear. We cannot unsee what has been deeply felt, and we are always here when you lose your way. Breathe knowing into the air, spread your wisdom to those who seek it, see without judgement and bring calm to the world you travel.”

The pure calm slipped away; a dream desperately clung onto in the morning light, like trying to hold water that spills through cupped hands. The sting was dull, a solemn goodbye to a friend to be seen again at an unknown soon.

“Thank you dear owl,” she whispered to the through the wind as she walked along her way, “for showing me this glorious day. Sleep now my dear friend, and I’ll watch for you while you slumber. I’ll listen for your call to remind my soul it’s not alone any longer.”

The sun continued to gently kiss each rock and leaf as it climbed up the morning sky, its warmth spreading through her every limb with grateful surrender. She wandered unafraid in her enlightened dawn, alone nevermore.