Page 119 - Contrast2015

The cool air surrounds me as I circle, soaring with the
hawks. I am free from the cares of the world. Serene, I catch a
glimpse of heaven. Balancing my weight, I drift into another
thermal that lifts me back up to the clouds, light as a down
feather. I glance up at the fabric wing carrying me over the
earth. The yellow, red, and blue flames printed on it take on
varied hues and appear to spring to life as the dawn sunlight
catches them, bathing them in rippling sunlight.

Slowly, I turn my face to the sun, drinking in its lively rays.
They wash away all my fears and misgivings as I release them
from my heart and feel them dissolve into nothing. Finally, I
turn and float back toward the sun-skimmed cliffs, spilling air
as I drop to the ground, landing lightly. The sun has fully
risen by now, and I shift to smile back at it.

I stand poised on the edge one last time, remembering the
beauty of this dawn. Then I turn away, carefully folding up
my hang glider and walking slowly back to my Jeep. The
haunted cry of a hawk pierces the air and I glance back. Back
at the silence, the solace, the freedom. The alone. And I smile
as my heart sings back.

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