5:53 AM The Moon and the Crow
It was just another day. I awoke at 5:00 AM and heard the coffee pot start its dripping thanks to its automatic on feature. The dog begins his stretching, snorting, and staring routine. He is waking up too. I shaved while drinking my first cup of the morning elixir. My mind is calm and contemplating nothing.
Walking outside with Bear I notice the weather a bit more muggy than usual. Today's 8 miler may be a bit more challenging than usual. The dog is breathing hard and bouncing around. He spotted his ball and now has it in his mouth awaiting me to take it from him and throw it.
After a few throws to limber him up and get his blood flowing, I toss the ball aside and attach the leash to his bright orange collar. Bear has to fight the urge to grab the ball resting only a few feet from him, but the prospect of the walk is enough to wrest his attention and now we are headed down the driveway, past the newspapers to our morning route.
I walk him to get him pooped and peed so I can run without worrying about him soiling the house. Amazingly, he gets his chores taken care of straight away and we turn back toward the house. It is early and the sun is still below the trees. The sky is beginning to brighten and colors are returning; I wonder where they go at night?
Piercing my awareness, above the background of birdsongs was the cawing of a crow. I looked up in time to see the large blackbird gracefully powering himself across the pale blue sky, eclipsing a crescent moon. I stopped and stared. The moment passed so quickly, but the snapshot is still vivid in my mind. I thought of how I wished I could have photographed that moment to share it with others, but it had passed.
I looked at my watch, it was 5:53 AM. I was alone on the streets. I wondered if anyone from their backyard or front porch had seen that bird fly beneath that moon. Had anyone noticed or been privy to the predawn spectacle? These things often escape the notice of the world. What's the big deal about a crow and the moon? Who cares? Yet that moment, that image and sound and feeling connected with something primal deep inside my chest. These very things strengthen and buoy me.
That's all from here, beneath the moon and the crows. All is well. All is well.
Until the next time
John Strain