Sunrise Gaia-Ride
I knew it would rain today. I sat in my chair, journal in lap and watched the field across the street from my house. Sunlight snaked over the hilltops to the east and the wet mown grass morphed like a gecko—nighttime colorless gray, to blazing emerald green in a flash. I looked skyward and saw the bank of clouds was, at best, 10 minutes from blotting out the sky for the remainder of the day. I rushed to get my shoes on. If this was going to be the only sun today, I’m definitely drinking it up.
I stepped into the street (where a car goes by about once every hour or so) and turned to the east. The two hillsides just outside of town made a familiar double-hump silhouette, back lit by the rising sun. Except, the sun wasn’t rising.
It’s not rising… I thought, I’m turning! For a brief moment, I felt as if I were standing on an enormous amusement park ride, cresting the top of a hill so big, it takes half a day just to roll to the bottom. The sun became my frame of reference and I felt the turning of this grand living spaceship.
Gaia rolled. I wanted to hold out my arms like young Rose on Titanic. I wanted to wave to the sun as we rolled on by. I wanted to wake the little kids next door and teach them how to do this. After all, you’re never too short or too poor for this ride! This ride: this daily turning, this rolling over in our galactic sleep and facing the sun, warming, rising, synthesizing sunlight into life. This amazing thing; happening daily in your own backyard.
The rain did come. Sun obscured. It’s now only the weak glow of my office fluorescents glinting off the wet leaves outside the window. That’s okay. Today I watched Gaia graciously turn her cosmic dance steps as she always has, in a patient and practiced way. And I can think about this as I turn and turn and turn through another day.
Tessa_of_the_Sea says:
You are a very poetic writer. But you probably knew that
Lee Welles-author says:
Some days I know it…and some days I doubt it! Thanks!
gaiagirls101 says:
wow that was amazing
is that part of the third gaia book or something you just wrote up. either way it was moving. the words make feel like i’m their and their so calm and smooth it’s as if their a lullaby gently pulling you into sleep with its soothing beat. every word rolls off the tongue so perfectly. i think of everything to do with your books as a religion, and the themselves a sacred bible. people say it’s an obsession and i know it’s true. i feel like i have a connection with elizabeth and miho. a small town girl trying to makee a difference in the world trying to be heard in a sea of peopleand’ also a girl with bad memories for a past given a new chance at being something that have nothing to do with those bad memories. sorry i kinda started drooning on and going off subject. anyway i loved the story truely honestly great.
Lee Welles-author says:
Something I just wrote up…because it was a powerful moment and I wanted to capture it. (Sometimes a digital camera just can’t cut it!)
There is nothing wrong with characters in a story helping you find your way in the world and/or helping you define how you would like the world to be. This is how we get a little braver, by borrowing from the stories of those that go before us–whether they are fictional characters, or real world heroes.
gaiagirls101 says:
i feel like that all the time. books can help me escape the real world. i read a ton because of that. my home life isn’t that great divorced parents, evil sisters. books help all that go away for a little while. i’m reading a new series called fablehaven by brandon mull it is awesome i think it’s my new #2 favorite series. gaia girls being#1 of course. if you get the chance to you should check them out.
Lee Welles-author says:
Did anyone else notice this crazy blog is adding the month of July onto the comment dates? Weird.