by Tessie H

Created on: June 16, 2008

Peace...Steph knew it only on these solitary moments on summer mornings...the time before the kids were up when she was off of work and had no place to go.

It was on these moments that she'd sit out on her back deck, coffee in one hand and novel in the other, her only distraction the beauty of the park-like setting that was her backyard. She'd read the 7th Harry Potter book here. She'd drank pots and pots of Starbucks French Roast, her mind a sponge to the world around. Yet, it was the beauty of nature that always caught her attention, the way that life seemed to fit together.

On these days, she watched the many birds in her yard. She observed the cardinals flying from tree to tree, their red wings fluttering quickly. She saw the robins catching worms for their babies, nests high in the pine trees that lined her yard. She listened to the calls of birds whose names she did not know, the entire backyard full of the sounds of tweets and shrieks and laments. She'd even seen a hummingbird, it's flitting wings rendering it stationary by a radiant orange lily that sat in her flowerbed.

Down the hill, her butterfly bush was rife with those little white butterflies that seemed to love the purple flowers. Occasionally, she'd see a monarch or other butterflies, but the white ones were the most frequent visitors. They were the residents of that bush, it seemed. They were the ones who were always there, like old friends or quiet, fluttering neighbors.

Sometimes, if it was early enough, Steph saw a bunny or two. Once, a bunny had been sitting right in the middle of her yard. Another bunny hopped towards it and those bunnies chased each other. Around and around they ran, disappearing into the pines, only to emerge from another side in a rapid run. Steph was not sure if this was an act of aggression or playfulness; yet, the chase held her captivated, as if she had been witness to a private matter.

On cooler mornings, she could see the dew still fresh on the grass and leaves. She often thought of the insects, both annoying and regal. The flies might buzz her, but she could easily get caught up in the way that they crawled over the deck, searching for something to eat or bother. She occasionally was treated to a spider spinning a web on the railings of her back deck, the thin threads shining with wetness on those dewy mornings.

But, it was the summer plants that she loved most of all. The lush greeness. The flowers that showed their purples and yellows and reds and oranges, an artist's rendition of life. It was here on the porch that she could collect herself and be one with nature. It was here that she felt truly alive.

Then, she would hear the kids stirring...most likely, fighting...and she knew her commune with nature was over. She'd take her book and her empty coffee cup and enter the house, leaving nature to start her day.

Learn more about this author, Tessie H.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.