10/23/22 On the Branch On the Hill

 On the Branch On the Hill

Deep breath in, deep breath out. That was the rhythm he held as he balanced. Early in the morning, on a firm tree branch on top of a hill, overlooking the busy city below he stood. His eyes were not drawn to the business of the city, but to the horizon, looking out over the ocean.

Focusing deeply on one point, right where the ocean met the sky, he carefully balanced on the branch as light breezes blew by, threatening to push him over but none quite strong enough. 

His goal was to stand there all day, until the sun set, and that he did. Quietly, not saying a word all day, he stood on that branch just watching the ocean, thinking about life, thinking about this moment in his life. 

He was doing nothing in the eyes of a working man; no project was being finished, nothing was being bettered around him, just a day wasted standing on a tree. Yes, it was just that, but although the time may have gone, it was not for loss. The time spent on that branch was the best day the man had ever had.

No stress overcame him as he stood there. No worries clouded his mind. He had nothing to do and so he did nothing, except enjoy the cycle of the sun as it shifted through the sky. Occasionally his eyes would glance around at the lights of the busy city, or maybe a bird flying in front of his view, but they always returned to the horizon.

That unsettling line that seemed to go on forever; to the left and right but also behind it. An infinite world lay beyond the horizon line, a piece of the world unseen from the man's view, but one he knew existed.

All day he stood, til the sun had disappeared and the moon was high in the sky. That day he learned to let go of the stresses of life, and just enjoy living in the moment. He would always remember that day on that branch, and it would bring him joy every time the thought passed through his mind.


The End

10/23/22

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