The Gift
She leaned back on the wooden park bench, the seat slightly damp from the morning rain. Above her, the blue sky swamped her vision. Staring into the emptiness, a great bird crossed into her line of sight, a bald eagle soaring on the afternoon breeze. She watched it pass and noticed something gently falling from the bird's path. The drifting speck of black slowly grew in size as it approached the earth's surface. She wondered where whatever it was would land.
She reverted her focus to the back of her eyelids, resting her vision. Breathing deeper, trying to clear the thoughts from her head, a deeper wind blew out of the east. The small hairs on her arms fluttered gently, making her smile momentarily from the sensual feel of the air against warm skin. She opened her eyes as the breeze died and looked in her lap. A feather, speckled brown and white sat perfectly at rest in her lap.
She grabbed the stiff white stem and looked back to the heavens and only saw blue.
She reverted her focus to the back of her eyelids, resting her vision. Breathing deeper, trying to clear the thoughts from her head, a deeper wind blew out of the east. The small hairs on her arms fluttered gently, making her smile momentarily from the sensual feel of the air against warm skin. She opened her eyes as the breeze died and looked in her lap. A feather, speckled brown and white sat perfectly at rest in her lap.
She grabbed the stiff white stem and looked back to the heavens and only saw blue.