Sunday, May 10, 2009
i wake up to the warm glow of direct sunlight. i blink lazily at the expanse of open sky above me, clearing the sleep from my eyes. i can almost forget about the mass of concrete of steel beneath me. sometimes i pretend it is more air stretching between me and the ground. but these thoughts i merely acknowledge with a passing glance; i severed that tether between myself and earthly worries.
the hint of a breeze brushes across my skin, and adrenaline starts flowing through my veins. the gloss of sleep is instantly replaced with single-minded clarity. i rise from my bed, and walk to the edge. i look down at the street beneath me, watching life funnel its way through its man-made corridor. i unfold my wings, and jump.
headlong i fall, quickly gaining speed. i curl my wings until they just start to catch the air, using them to guide my free fall, not yet impede it. slowly i let them catch more and more air, and my path slowly starts to curve away from vertical. the ground is fast approaching, and i get that brief moment of fear that i have pushed things too far, that maybe this time my timing wasn't right, and i won't be able to catch myself before the ground snatches me back. then, at that perfect moment, i adjust my wings and bare down. the air becomes palpable, a physical object as i bend it to my will. i let it slide across me, ever supportive as my path starts to level out. with a rush of air, i reach the lower apex of my flight. dust swirls off the pavement as i fly past, and rocket back into the sky. the buildings rush past, and then i am free. the steel and concrete canyon slowly fades away, as i use the reflected heat radiating from it to lift me even higher. i could leave this little world, i am not bound by anything now, but i still draw great joy from these simple moments, my brief brushes with humanity.
the hint of a breeze brushes across my skin, and adrenaline starts flowing through my veins. the gloss of sleep is instantly replaced with single-minded clarity. i rise from my bed, and walk to the edge. i look down at the street beneath me, watching life funnel its way through its man-made corridor. i unfold my wings, and jump.
headlong i fall, quickly gaining speed. i curl my wings until they just start to catch the air, using them to guide my free fall, not yet impede it. slowly i let them catch more and more air, and my path slowly starts to curve away from vertical. the ground is fast approaching, and i get that brief moment of fear that i have pushed things too far, that maybe this time my timing wasn't right, and i won't be able to catch myself before the ground snatches me back. then, at that perfect moment, i adjust my wings and bare down. the air becomes palpable, a physical object as i bend it to my will. i let it slide across me, ever supportive as my path starts to level out. with a rush of air, i reach the lower apex of my flight. dust swirls off the pavement as i fly past, and rocket back into the sky. the buildings rush past, and then i am free. the steel and concrete canyon slowly fades away, as i use the reflected heat radiating from it to lift me even higher. i could leave this little world, i am not bound by anything now, but i still draw great joy from these simple moments, my brief brushes with humanity.
