Creative Writing

I spent some time walking by the lake this evening in order to center myself a bit before a final practice session. The nearly full moon was rising...fading in and out of view as it ascended between bands of wispy pastel-hued clouds. I sat down on one of the concrete boulders at the edge the lake fill, took a few photos, and found myself mumbling through counted syllables in an attempt to compose a haiku to fit the moment...

Hush. The whisp'ring wave

blows asunder cloudy veils.

The moon stands...singing.

I looked up for a moment and noticed an asian man crouched nearby with his camera pointed directly at me. As I gathered my stuff and prepared to head back to the music building he approached with a friendly "Hello!" and showed me the screen of his digital camera.

"I take picture of you. Very beautiful. Red coat very beautiful."

I glanced at the photos. There I was, in my red jacket, lost in thought, scrawling syllables into an open planner, and totally oblivious to the fact that I was being observed.

I pointed at the moon and replied, "Thank you, but the moon is even more beautiful."

"Yes, it is." he nodded, but then insisted I look at another picture. "Red coat very beautiful. Rainbow on rock and red coat..."

Ah! Then I got it! I had been so lost in my poetic reverie that I hadn't noticed I'd been sitting on a piece of concrete decorated with a rainbow and signed by the members of a creative writing group...how strangely appropriate.

The man said goodbye and continued walking north along the lake shore. I stumbled away a little embarrassed, but warmed to the core. It had been a perfect evening. And I was looking forward to a good practice session.