Where the Frogs Secrete

Where the Frogs Secrete

I sit here amid the high trees who seem to be fighting with the season to hold on to their last pale leaves. I can feel the fine hairs on my body rise as goose pimples emerge on my skin from the algid stone bench. As my lungs absorb the fresh wind I feel as though i have consumed new energy. My blond hair flies around me shortly making me lose my sight as it covers my squinched eyes. The ripples in the water appear to me as tiny waves. My mind starts to wonder like a lost child, I come here often on days like today, when my world is filled with dismay and despondency. The unpretentious bench secluded from the harsh world as i know it, is only surrounded by a small body of animate water and the wild. It is here where i find illusions of bliss and tranquility, here on my stone bench down where the frogs secrete, just as I do when I need a state of restoration.


I take a deep breath and my nostrils are filled with the smell of pine and what I imagine hope smells like. Yet all alone I do not feel lonely. The water is filled with life which keep me company. The green and miry pond leaves act as a protective cover for the water creatures. I look close and for a split second see a quite large fish, it is a dull gray color and seems to have no time to waste, in the blink of my eye he is gone. I imagine the activity that must be going on beyond my visual capabilities . At my level, above water I spot an admirable insect hovering the water, with wings appearing to big for its fragile body. One of the reasons I enjoy this ground is for the mere fact that i observe scenes I have not seen before. The aberration from my usual life makes me find a sense of peace.

I slip out of my cozy mind set as I hear the arid fallen leaves rustle. I am startled and slightly frightened that my haven might be interrupted . I glance to my left and see a short pudgy man proudly strolling with his aged but handsome golden retriever . The animals thick hair has reached a grayish hint to it. The man greets me by simply mumbling "Hello". I do not speak but i manage to pull my face muscles up long enough for a weak smile. The very moment they are out of my sight i no longer have them in my thoughts, the intruders have left me be.


I notice that the already rationed sun light is beginning to grow dimer. The once whistling sound of the wind has now transformed into a loud howl. I become aware that the grim tree to my near right has lost its battle with the wind as its last leaf steadily falls to the hard ground. The trees gaunt branches seem to shiver with the winds mighty blows, now that it is without the armor of his little yellow friend. I can feel the outcome of sitting here all this time start to take hold.My hands and feet are numb and stiff and are telling me that it is time to retreat from this world and return to reality.

I know that now it is time to break away from this enchantment. I must answer to my duties and worries at home. I take one more deep breath and let the fresh air cleanse my soul, if only for a minute. The darkness overcomes me I can no longer trust my sense of sight. I can only hear the wind singing his song and feel its breath rub against my cheek, leaving behind tiny pins in my flesh. I know that i will be back soon, when I am distraught and in need of comfort. Here on my gray compact bench, my retreat, my friend, my secret world of wonder.