Arms Open Wide

Bike riding at dawn
I put on my "comfortable" clothes
and lift the garage door
It creaks like my back
And from the dark confined space
And the creaking of back and of door
I let the light in...
And prepare my heart for the ride

Water bottle...check
Phone...check
Tires properly inflated...check
Did I close the door to the house?...check

I roll my bike out
reach up
and pull the garage door down
(so much easier to close than to open!)
I survey the driveway
Listen for cars
Flip my leg over the bar and down I go...
down
down
down...

to the park below.
I pass a car or two...
on their way to work
perhaps
I taking a child
to a swimming lesson...
but I am on my bike
and though my hair is a bit gray
and I am rounder than I might like to be
On my bike
I don't care

On my bike,
it is if time is just a construct
for everyone else
but not me
because on my bike
time means nothing
the past doesn't exist
and the future doesn't matter
yet

Every time I ride my bike
I am a little girl
escaping exhausting parents
or chores
or people who want to beat me up

I am riding my Luck Dragon
And it's just me
and the wheels and the wind...
and the earth...at dawn.

I pass other dawn people
We know that real living begins
In a prayer to God
Creator of the earth
and all its contents...
We get up
and step out and say
Thank you
for this day
Thank you
that I am still here
and that I can go outside
and hear the first birds
and the wind
and see the clouds
before coffee
before eggs
before someone has the chance
to tell me what to do
I go out on the trail
On by bicycle

And I see the people
old and young
alone or together
with dogs
(but never cats)
The robins and the rabbits
The sunflowers waking up,
faces toward the sun
the dandelions
the primrose
the weeds
the birdhouse on my left
the creek below me
and the trees that bring welcomed shade
even at dawn...

I look at the hill ahead
And I climb it
counting each rounding of the wheel
telling myself I can do ten more
and then ten more after that...

and going home
I feel more alive
than I have in ten years...
I get the speed up

I've done it before
I can do it now
Right?
Of course I can!

And I let go of the handle bars
and fling my arms open wide
staying the course...
and remembering...

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through confession of the Oneness

Of the Creator of creation.

Love,
Cindy