I’m sitting on the bench near the river, just as I have hundreds of times, relaxing in the shade of the young maple tree. The breeze blows gently this way and that. The scent of the river and the river creatures hangs in the air. There are birds tweeting loudly in the trees, and insects are humming everywhere. I have to be careful of mosquitoes and ticks. The fresh green grass is so lush and full of hidden life, after all.
 |
| Now breathing out. |
But it’s so nice and relatively quiet in the shade, away
from the glaring sun. It’s a welcome respite
from the oppressive heat. There are a
few pleasure boats moored on the other side of the river, and their owners come
now and then and sail away, only to return as the sun reaches the horizon. I watch them come and I watch them go, and while
they’re gone, I watch the fish jumping and the ducks paddling. The world is teeming with life.
I take deep breaths because I am alive and the fresh air
feels so good. It’s warm and moist, and I
fill my lungs to full capacity. Then I breathe
the world out while it breathes me in.
We trade back and forth: I
breathe in the world, then it breathes in me.
One breathes while the other exhales, and then we trade. In one moment I am a part of everything, and
in the next moment everything is a part of me.
I’ve been dancing this dance since I was born. Maybe before.
Then everything goes away. The colors fade and then disappear
completely. The insects leave. Many birds fly away. The fish are nowhere to be found, and the
pleasure boats have vanished. The water
that supported everything has crystallized.
The Great Alchemist waves his hand and the liquid realm transmutes to the
mineral realm. The world is teeming with
death. It is the way of things.
The World has breathed out and the Universe has breathed
in. They trade back and forth. The World breathes in the Universe and fills
itself to full capacity. Then it breathes
out while the Universe breathes the World in.
One breathes while the other exhales, and then they trade. In one moment the World is part of
everything, and in the next moment everything is part of the World. It is a very, very old dance that started
long before I was born. It is a good
dance.
Soon the World will breathe in again and so will I. My dance card will be filled with handsome
beaux, and everywhere the music will follow a perfect rhythm designed before
time began.
