Falling From The Sky Part 23

The Full Moon shone brightly overhead, errant beams1

of silvery light glowing here and there as they pierced2

the thick canopy of leaves.3

Vaguely seen shadows announced the presence of the little4

brown bats that hunted the proliferous insect life in the air.5

Katydids were in full chorus round about the Forest path,6

their staccato sounds underlined by the continuous drone of7

the myriad cicadas which had recently emerged by the millions8

from their years of unseen growth beneath the boles of the9

enormous trees. Climbing up the trunk to the nearest branch,10

the large insects had, the wizard knew, shed the old wingless11

form that they had inhabited for over a decade in their nymph stage.12

Having climbed out through a split in the back of the now useless shell13

of their prior beingness, they had rested for a few hours, 14

drying and flexing their new bewinged bodies prior to taking15

to the air. After so many years in development, they had attained16

their perfected state. A mere few weeks hence, the wizard mused,17

and they would return to the final embrace of the Earth, their18

life cycle completed.19

"Ava atque vale" the wizard whispered, "it20

was ever thus". It was, he reflected, hardly possible to21

wax melancholy on such matters when the very air around him fairly22

reverbrated with the joyous expressions of Life. Off in the 23

distance was the insistent call of the Whippoorwill, while from a24

nearby unseen pond came the sonorous thrummings of  bullfrogs.25

Summer was in full swing, and everywhere was the manifestation of26

the very essence of Spirit, clothed in multitudinously diverse27

material forms, all in one accord, all with the same ecstatic28

expression of beingness, all proclaiming "I AM"29

The wizard saw that the Forest was growing perceptibly lighter30

with each step. A matter of a few minutes further progress and he31

found himself at the edge of the ancient grove.32

Before him now was a wide expanse of meadow beneath a cloudless33

and starlit sky. The Full Moon shone brightly overhead to the 34

extent that the wizard cast a good dark shadow as he walked.35

He looked out at the vastness before him, suddenly desirous of36

any landmark, any hint of direction. His hand went instinctively37

to the Hammer that these days hung always by his side, caressing the38

polished steel as well as the exotic hardwood handle that lay 39

comfortably against his leg. As he peered into the distance ahead,40

his peripheral vision attested to a second, smaller shadow that walked41

beside his own. He smiled,for he knew that his quest was assured,42

that his journey was an adventure in triumph and wonder.43

A cool breeze ruffled the wizard's silvered hair as he gazed up44

at the timeless sky. "Soon......very soon...." it seemed to say.45

TO BE CONTINUED46

************************************************************************47