Wild Geese

I rose early, quietly slipping into my walking clothes. I gently opened my front door and headed towards the nearby walking trails. As I walked through the woods, nary an animal crossed my path. The only sounds I heard were birds chirping, small animals collecting nuts, and my feet as they gently landed on autumn’s leaves and the decaying pine straws. I rounded the bend and watched the birds above me fly through the ever-developing canvas of the dawn as if their wings were fine quills, drawing buoyant hues. I paused just in time to witness the sun’s gradual ascent into the enormous Texas sky. Earth’s star rose on the horizon, bold and free, not needing an invitation, bringing warmth to the wooded area. I stood perfectly still letting the silence envelop me. I closed my eyes, lingering in the solitude and quieting my mind. In the distance I heard them—geese honking. Their sounds returned me to the here and now and to my surroundings. I shielded my eyes and looked up. High above me in the blue air was a skein of wild geese flying in V-formation. They glided together effortlessly through the sky, homeward bound for the season. I stood in awe watching them noticing the geese had a pride about them, as if they were aware of their own magnificence. fall equinox brings skein of geese flying above interrupts silence wild geese, sunlit sky V-formation heading south seasonal journey boldly unimpressed by opinions, fears, and doubts geese trust the Knowing