I have sat here in the meadow for many hours today. I am surrounded by sunflowers. Their bright yellow faces tilt up to the sky along with my own, to bask in the sun's warmth. With my eyes closed, I can see the red of my life-blood.
There are many bees and butterflies with me. A gentle bumblebee crawls over my bare toe. I have thrown my boots aside today. I always prefer feeling the grass and earth beneath me. The butterflies are white and yellow, dancing and twirling through the warm air, going from blossom to blossom.
I can hear the Great River in the valley below. Its voice is always with us. Soft and whispery now, but if I climb down the hillside, it becomes a roar. It scents the air, even far up here in the high mountain meadows. I love the smell of water, whether it is the river or the rain. The river-water smells of earth and stone. Rain-water smells of clouds and sky.
The crickets are beginning to sing during the sunlight hours. Cicadas buzz from the trees in the valley. Soon, grasshoppers will be leaping in the tall grasses. All the earth's colors will change. It is not only the high leaves that change their hues in autumn. Even the grasses and ferns will turn gold and crimson.
But for now, summer is still our ruler. Seasons must change in their own time. We cannot hurry them nor delay them. For now, the sun is hot against my brow. I feel it searing the flesh on my arms, gently and slowly. It is a pleasant feeling to me. For now, the tender bees and butterflies are free to flit and hover without fear of frost.
For now, the mountain is a good place to sit.
