The Ecstasy of Hiking

The almost winter sun warms my skin

As it shines down, playing peek-a-boo through the trees

Cypress knees jut up from earth and bogs, 

Hard to tell at first where the reflection ends and the trees begin

Pine needles, earth and wet leaves soften the foot falls as I advance 

Cypress needles, warmed in the sun, 

their scent carried on the breeze, fills my sense of release

Migratory birds chirping, “what’s with this heat?”

The beauty of life fills my lungs with each inspiration

The sound of the breeze builds in the distance,

A dull roar similar to the sounds of waves crashing on the beach

Butterflies flitter across the path, dashing away into the tree line 

Light filters through the laurels, needles and dances on the ground 

My knees beg to kneel and see how the softened needles would feel

Pressing into my flesh

The pure ecstasy of this moment is almost too much to bear 

Tears well in the corners of my eyes

Easily misconstrued by passers by

My sternum lifts, my belly tightens

Elongating my spine, tractioning nerves 

Increasing their sensitivity, drinking in 

More and more of my surroundings 

My mind wonders what it will be like to walk with him

I call in his energy and waves of electricity move up my skin; his signature 

The blue sky opens through the trees

Right now deciding that I’ll enjoy the fullness of this solitude 

Finding solace and sanctity in this moment

Another gusting breeze builds in the distance

Its dull roar subsides as it moves away

Like the tides, another building breath of the earth moves in

Wisps of hair tickle my skin

Today, yes, today is a beautiful day to be alive 

Namaste