FLYING BY MOONLIGHT

All my life I have had dreams of flying at night--effortlessly--no wings, no arms flapping, just a small leap into the air.  I think about rising higher and I do. I sail through the inky blue sky, the stars blinking above me, the trees below, looking deep green in the moonlight.  I am fearless because I know nothing can harm me in the night sky. Drifting through the cool breeze which is always with me, ruffling my hair, I feel invincible.  I am filled with the beauty of the night.  I am at peace. 
                                                                     
But then I wake up and the dream is gone in a wisp of smoke and I am just an aging woman who will never fly.  Some days I can barely walk.  Aches have appeared in places I barely knew I had.  What gets me out of bed is the comforting thought of coffee and the morning paper.  A paper full of conflict, devastating weather disasters, unexpected tragedies and always more bad news; sometimes I wonder why I read it.  And yet...my three black cats are making little squeaky noises which means, "Give us more food!"  The deep red cardinal at the bird feeder appears thrilled to find fresh birdseed.  I take a fresh look at the three collages I created and realize with a small shock that they are lovely.  The day lies ahead of me full of possibilities.  I am not flying by moonlight, true, but I am beginning this blog and who knows what other joys this day will bring.