The Happy Place

It's morning time, I've just woken up from a nice night of fine sleep. I can smell sage here. The light comes through my stained glass window and makes a colorful pattern on my bed. I lay there for a moment and watch the colors, warm under my covers in the cool morning air. I get up and plop my feet on the floor, damn, I left my sandals out by the fire pit last night. Oh well. I reach for my blue wizard robe and throw it around my naked body. The old wooden floor creaks under my bare feet as I walk to the kitchen sink and take a look out the window. The sunlight pours in, it feels so nice on my face. But it's not too hot, the door is open and the cool morning breeze is blowing through the rusty screen door. I can hear the birds chirping out in the trees and the buzz of a couple flies caught between the window and the screen in the bathroom. The wind chimes out on the porch musically dancing with the winds, making a peaceful chime on the cool air. I pick up a glass from the counter and fill it with fresh cold water from the well. The wonderful cold feeling runs all the way down my throat and slowly coats my entire stomach. I close my eyes and capture the moment, for it is a wonderful moment, so peaceful, and comfortable.

I make myself something to eat and have coffee and my morning cigarette out on the patio by the fire pit. I have my old banjo with me that I'm lightly plunking on between sips of coffee, the cigarette in the headstock of the banjo, held in by the strings, the smoke slowly rising up into the blue sky. I'm watching the shadow of the smoke dance on the rock below me as I plunk away. Then a feeling hits me, it nearly takes my breath away and makes me nearly shed a tear. What is it? I don't know, it's life, a moment of real life passing through me like a rushing train. It's gone as quickly as it comes, but it's good to feel. It's a real feeling.

Ugh, enough of this sappy shit, time to go down to the pond for a swim. I slip on my sandals over by the fire pit and slowly flop my way down the trail. There it is, the blue water of the pond lapping at the shore of white and brown gravel. I don't even bother to take off the robe, I just walk into the water. The cold rushes over my body as I sink completely underneath. Here I let go of all thought and just feel. Feel the cool of the water and the weightlessness. Slowly I float to the top and spread my arms and legs out so I float on the surface. The sunlight refracts off the water on my eyelashes making rainbows and colors flash before my nearly closed eyes, warm above but cool beneath. I just float and let the currents in the pond take me at will. Bring me to my place.

I know I have arrived as I float under the overhanging trees, blocking out the sunlight. I stand and walk out of the water. Here is my little nature patio on the other side of the pond, it is made of rock that I have carried into place and crafted into a little table and chair like thing. In the middle stands a tall skinny blue vase with one white rose in it, on the other side of the table sits a cooler filled with ice cold beer. I lay upon the warm rock and crack open a cold one and I sit and think "My God........I love everything!", as I slide on my sunglasses and slowly slip into a peaceful nap where even more pleasant dreams fill my mind.

From here I shall awaken upon the lunch hour where I will enjoy delicious sandwiches with jalapeno chips and more cold beer. Then evening I will recreate at the pond with family and friends, good times and good spirits will abound. We celebrate for no reason but for the joy of celebration and do so well into the wee hours of the next day. Exhausted and filled with joy, I fall upon my soft cool bed once again and drift off to sleep.