My Strange Muse

It was one of those slow, lazy summer days, where the sunlight almost has weight. It was too hot to work on anything, and I was restless, but to torpid from the heat focus. My partner, being the intuitive man that he is, decided to drag me out of my funk, and take me for a float  down our lovely, local river. The perfect remedy to a muggy day. 

He is terrible for spoiling me, so soon I found myself arrayed comfortably on a pile of cushions, being rocked to relaxation on our little boat. With a cold drink in hand, and munchies within reach, I was all set for an afternoon of sun drowsed lethargy and relaxation.

We were only about half an hour into a 3 hour float to our next landing, when the clouds started to gather. Soon, the sky had turned from sunlit to grey, and there was only one patch of clear sky, directly overhead.

There was a hawk darting in and out of view. He had been following us for some time, possibly in hopes of a handout. I watched him for a while, hovering on the very edge of sleep... that languid state of mind where you hover between conscious, and dreaming. 

I thought to the hawk…”I wish I could fly with you…then we could break through the clouds together, and soar up to the sunlight,”  and I found myself drifting…drifting into flight , looking out at the world from a height, and through a strangely distorted lens. I willed myself upwards, and rose, breaking through the clouds into dazzling light. I looked down, and saw, through a break in the clouds, a bright ribbon of water, with both shadows and shapes moving over it. I watched with delight, for a timeless interlude.

A crack of thunder brought me bolt upright in the boat. We were pulling up onto the bank, just in time to avoid the downpour. My wonderful man had left me to my reverie, and meanwhile brought us safely to shore. 

Once we were landed and comfy, he asked me where I has been. Evidently, I hadn’t been sleeping….and as I stared to describe my journey he stopped me, and said, wait; you need to write this down. I knew he was right, so I did. When I read what I had written, I realized it was the lyrics to a new song…I immediately sent it to one of my band mates, who, just a effortlessly found the music. The music I hadn’t been sure could be written for it. It became one of our most powerful pieces, and one of my favorites. 

Who knew that my elusive muse would find me drifting down the river, and carry me into the light of inspiration on the wings of a hawk…