Cha-Cha Sunrise

Opening my eyes I see black. The room is so dark. I reach for my cell to check the time.

6:59.

I sit up and peek behind the blind.

Dark.

Sunrise.

I could go out and watch the sunrise over the lake.

6:59.

I have to be quick.

I throw on layer upon layer; it’s sure to be freezing. Tiptoeing down the steps I’m careful not to wake the other sleeping beauties.

I shut the outside door and then I hear it.

Rain.

I’d turned the fan on high to drown out the laughter last night, when I went to bed earlier than the rest.

I stand there, shivering. Deciding.

You’ll never have this exact experience again.

Step off the deck.

The rain is big cold heavy drops on my head and it’s kind of funny as I walk down the path to the lake. I'm wet. So what? Ha-ha!

The dock is covered but water blows in from the sides. Pulling a chair toward me, I sit.

As the rain bounces off the lake's surface, it looks like the underside of an old quilt, with a million strings poking out.

Looking up, I'm in a cloud, which is a theater, and it’s audience participation. The players dance around me dipping forward in dramatic fashion and retreating before another actor takes center stage. I inhale the cloud and sway with the performers, smiling at the ones who wink at me as they dart and twirl over the water.

All this dancing coaxes out the sun and the rain stops briefly as he makes his shy appearance.

I sit and breathe and breathe and sit.


Walking back, I glance toward the house.

There they are, up on the balcony, with coffee & donuts.

They were a bit late, and not close enough to hear the actors breathe, but it appears they fully enjoyed the show.