I took a wrong turning down to the river last night.
Got lost.
It was stuffy.
I got it in my head that I hadn’t locked the car. Kept visualising it on the side of the road, open to anyone who walked by and tried the door. I hoped they wouldn’t take the letter I hadn’t got round to replying to yet.
The path I was on was taking me further away from the river.
Eventually I found a gap in the hedge. I slipped through to another field.
Still no river in sight.
I headed in the general direction to another hedge. Slipped over a ditch to another field. Literally. Slid down the ditch on my bum, getting my leggings muddy.
I had no idea where I was but I’d come so far that the only option was to carry on.
I picked up my pace.
I told myself that OK, the car was unlocked. But what’s the chance a thief will drive down that very quiet road and try the door? Very low chance.
I reasoned that I was allowed a shorter swim. Ten minutes max.
Another field and at last. The river!
I got to the bank and paused. There was movement in the sky. I suppose because I’ve never been so close to one before, it looked larger than any of the others I’d seen - a kingfisher! I watched it fly past. The glistening orange and blue. A glimpse into another world. Another time.
I sensed something else move. Another one! TWO kingfishers in one sitting! My grin is wide still now, as I write this!
And what’s extra magic is that I sort of knew I’d see a kingfisher. I thought, it HAS to happen, there HAS to be something magic about this evening, it can’t be ALL stress.
Because it can’t. No feeling can last forever. They run out of steam.
There’s magic out there waiting for you, if you keep your eyes peeled, glimpses into other worlds.
My swim was short but great. Then I pegged it up the hill to the car.
It was locked.
-
The image is by Jackie Morris from the book Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane (now also a play) about words that have been removed from a children’s dictionary.
Have you spotted any glimpses into other worlds lately?
Sending love to you,
Ruth Nadia x
Got lost.
It was stuffy.
I got it in my head that I hadn’t locked the car. Kept visualising it on the side of the road, open to anyone who walked by and tried the door. I hoped they wouldn’t take the letter I hadn’t got round to replying to yet.
The path I was on was taking me further away from the river.
Eventually I found a gap in the hedge. I slipped through to another field.
Still no river in sight.
I headed in the general direction to another hedge. Slipped over a ditch to another field. Literally. Slid down the ditch on my bum, getting my leggings muddy.
I had no idea where I was but I’d come so far that the only option was to carry on.
I picked up my pace.
I told myself that OK, the car was unlocked. But what’s the chance a thief will drive down that very quiet road and try the door? Very low chance.
I reasoned that I was allowed a shorter swim. Ten minutes max.
Another field and at last. The river!
I got to the bank and paused. There was movement in the sky. I suppose because I’ve never been so close to one before, it looked larger than any of the others I’d seen - a kingfisher! I watched it fly past. The glistening orange and blue. A glimpse into another world. Another time.
I sensed something else move. Another one! TWO kingfishers in one sitting! My grin is wide still now, as I write this!
And what’s extra magic is that I sort of knew I’d see a kingfisher. I thought, it HAS to happen, there HAS to be something magic about this evening, it can’t be ALL stress.
Because it can’t. No feeling can last forever. They run out of steam.
There’s magic out there waiting for you, if you keep your eyes peeled, glimpses into other worlds.
My swim was short but great. Then I pegged it up the hill to the car.
It was locked.
-
The image is by Jackie Morris from the book Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane (now also a play) about words that have been removed from a children’s dictionary.
Have you spotted any glimpses into other worlds lately?
Sending love to you,
Ruth Nadia x
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