inner city – i live (and often work) in the city, two miles north of the loop and half a mile from the lake. in the summer, the earth and all the paving over it gets HOT. but we’re not there yet. cooling lake breezes still outscoring the sun, especially after so many damp cloudy May days.
head cloudy too, thoughts swirling in so many directions, busy beyond blogging, spinning on the networked connections of all things. blueberry lavender dark chocolate for dessert last night, a luscious treat, but only accelerating the swirl. finally i eddy out of the office in the direction of the lake. green trees and grassy lawns bursting, flowers bouncing back from near frost, new sculpture rising out of lincoln park flowerbeds and hanging in the trees, the pipes of a giant organ. are they fuscia? magenta? certainly they’re more than merely pink, and stunning against fresh green, even if partly cloudy.
at the lake i find runners, walkers, riders, readers and students along the bike path, most everyone quietly pushing, still in silent sync with so many others at work. one old guy with a t-shirt advertising some long-distance cycling event even seems to be pushing his dog to workout. at fullerton i turn around, roll my pants, lose my shoes and leave the pavement.
hot sand. and toes. slowing down. sun touching inner soles. yawning and saying aaahhhh…. i wander the nearly empty beach, twenty yards and half a world away from the bike path. a solitary lifeguard glides by in what looks like walking meditation. my path veers briefly into COLD lake. some shiny little fish are flipping flopping and disappearing into seagulls crunching and flying away heavily, without remorse. sun cuts through clouds and yawning tentorum lifts brain as offering. inner skies clearing, too, spine easing and straightening, heart resting down, trusting into legs that just keep walking.
back in the neighborhood, i notice the spaces between the shadows on the sidewalk. a woman with a quiet sort of radiance and hands full of groceries approaches; hello cuts warmly through what should be city distance. as i return to lists and phones and emails, the essential work is already done.