Between class and work, I found myself along the Red Cedar at MSU. I settled onto the steps leading down to the riverbank and watched the flocks of ducks and Canadian geese and they reveled in the water. Slowly, the pressures of the day faded away as the ripples lulled my feathery friends into a slumber. The smell of late summer breeze mixed with the evergreen essence of fallen leaves and water running over mossy rocks.
The serenity of nature is contagious if you take the time to notice. To sit silently as nature sings around you. The senses are heightened and dancing shadows speak. The knots of the mind unwind. The noisy pursuits of life fade quietly into a moment of pure existence. All that is to be done, is to be. To feel the golden sun. To watch the marine life under the mirrored surface of water. To understand the chirp of a bird.
The peace was momentarily interrupted by another group of geese. With their heads lowered in defiance, they honked their way across the riverbed and settled themselves just above the whispering rapids – their preferred preening location. The blue sky was pierced by the silent flight of a heron, making its way upstream to better hunting grounds. The sleeping ducks merely tucked their heads further under wing. With a deep breath, I picked up my bag and headed back work. But this time, I noticed the crickets along the sidewalk serenading my way.
Amelia Shugar 