He sat quietly, lost in thought, hardly seeing the expanse of trees and fields in front of him.
It was one of his favourite seats, places for rest and seclusion scattered around the open park. A landscape so large that it never seemed to fill. Always a quiet spot available for contemplation. He had so much to contemplate; issues that would fill the park and spill over into the beyond; marriage, work, debts… His wife was away at her sister’s. He really didn’t know whether she was coming back. That was a fact. Losing his job and having bills pile up was not helping. He had to take responsibility for all of it. He hung his head .He closed his eyes and shook his head. Well, didn’t he? It was his life, he had made it all what it is.
So lost in thought, he jumped violently as a bird squawked loudly overhead. He opened his eyes and looked up. He watched it glide to the distant pond and land slowly on the water. He looked around at what he saw. A sudden and completely unexpected thrill ran through him. He saw beauty. He saw the sky, the trees, the great sweep of grass… it was all so, well, it was just so right, so perfect! He was staring at what nature was doing all around him and he was filled with wonder.
This euphoric moment was just that, a moment, a short few short seconds that passed as suddenly as it came. It had burst in upon him. Just a fleeting glimpse into the bounty of a world of treasures in front of him, but it had passed. It was no longer there, replaced by issues, issues and problems and unavoidable sadness.
For him, it was a sadness routed in the belief that he couldn’t get it back…