Photograph Used With Permission. Copyright Dennis Sprinkle Visit www.rocksolidphoto.com to see more of Dennis' wondrous work! With plenty of day remaining, I stepped into the shade of a tree and it was night just there. Pitch dark. Not shade, but the blackness of a moonless midnight. I listened to the night sounds within the brush. Birds, frogs, and crickets sang a dusky song, while other, unseen creatures moved about. I turned, and stood in the dark on the very edge of the day. I wiggled my bare toes in the sunlight of a suddenly cool August afternoon while my ears filled with the sounds of night.
Every breath I took felt like worship. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, thinking it appropriate to immortalize this moment. Then, I gently dropped it to the ground. Such moments are destined to be experienced. The twilight-song of my fellow creatures increased in volume to near deafening, and then the lullaby quieted to a hushed hum. One small bird, singing a solo at the top of his little lungs, held out. I smiled at the party-animal, staying up late, as I stepped into the day. Shades of a usual summer afternoon still colored the world, but the color was muted. Not painted by sunset. Not dimmed into dusk. Not the soft effect of cascading moonlight. Some other tint falling on a familiar hue in shades of eclipse. "It's almost gone," called a neighbor, maybe to another person, maybe to me, or maybe just an awestruck announcement. I looked through my borrowed safety glasses. A streak of orange became a spot. And, then it was gone. The Sun and Moon found each other in totality and became a beautiful One. A low-flying bat shot past me as the dark rushed down upon us. I grinned, and turned to track his progress. I glanced back at the shadow I had just left, and it had disappeared. I spun in a circle through my yard, trying to look at everything at once and allow my spirit to just gulp the beauty embedded in this moment. I wanted to see the forest and the trees, at once. My laughter was hushed and joy filled. I kicked my notebook, waiting in the grass, and barely noticed. No words, not yet. Several birds, in formation, flew toward the eclipse in a confused, zigzagging spiral. My glance caught them in the dark, and saw them in the light. Day returned and the birds flew off together as if to greet it. I watched the light's glorious arrival. It tiptoed back into the world. Beneath the Mama-tree, tiny crescents of lights covered the dark ground. Bird melody, cricket harmony, and frog accompaniment startled me. I had noticed the hush, but not the absolute silence until it was suddenly filled. A little while ago, the song has been sleepy, even at it's loudest. Now, the song questioned. I wished them a good morning and moved to retrieve my phone where I had dropped it in the night. Just shade, now. No longer night. I bent to pick it up, paused before my fingers touched the device, and then knelt. I stayed there for a little while. Words were unnecessary. And, when I was done, I found a small, forgotten apple in my pocket. I sat cross-legged on the earth while light regained its place in the world, and I ate my apple. It tasted like hallelujah.
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AuthorI am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with laughter, good intentions, and the grace of God. Archives
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