Gift of a moment

Starshine glints below and air rises up, swirling, enveloping me in the sense of her. Unbidden my hand pulls my cell phone from my pocket and I start to dial.

It has been a day of following impulse. I left work early and drove long following a need to hike the ravine. Bare branches sang in the breeze and I held every inspiration for a moment, then flung them on the winds to her. The path curled up and around, exploring sandstone hollows and outcrops and I followed it longer than I intended. When finally I sat in my car and mentally prepared to go home I found I wasn't ready and following a whim headed east to the Mississippi in darkening twilight.

Sixty miles on and feeling my way, a small road beckons and I turn to follow. At a dead end I get out, walk downhill, and realize I am far above the Mississippi. A fence bars my way and I follow it till I find a tree I can climb to cross over and drop on the other side. Not far ahead the world falls away and I approach cautiously. A shadow projects outward from the cliff and I move my head back and forth in the dark trying to get a sense of what I am seeing. I realize it is a finger of black rock, jutting out from the edge, only a couple of feet wide and maybe six feet long. I inch out and at the precipice slowly lower myself and start to notice where I am.

The sky is a vast bowl of black velvet, the frigid moonless night allowing the stars to shine out in diamond glory. The sky merges with the bluff on the far side of the river and small lights glisten, adding to the splendor. Below the water mirrors everything with perfect fidelity and I hang suspended, immersed in diamond and velvet.

The wind swirls up and I can feel her as I dial the last digit. Her voice mail answers "TB... TB..." the awe and wonder soften my voice and I trail off. I have no plan and the words tumble out. "The beauty here is incredible - stars below, stars above, river and sky. If you can connect with this, touch this beauty, if you can find a way, you really should - I know this moment... this gift of a moment, is for you too. You've been with me all day..." again I trail off, then hang up.

Without transition I drop into a deep state of simple awareness - no thought, only appreciation. Without remark the stars wheel in the sky and water.

A long, long while later I walk to my car and go home.