Veni, Vedi, Vici

I started the day before dawn. Waking up in the dark usually means rolling over and going back to sleep for me. Yesterday, instead, I got up and made a cup of coffee. I put my coat on and cup in hand I went out to watch the sun come up. The world is quiet and every movement I make seems like a whisper. I listened as the birds began their twitters and trills. There are mountains to the East, so at first I was staring at black masses with blacker shadows. Slowly, the sky above the mountains began to lighten and the trees became grey streaks with white highlights of snow. In the distance I heard a dog bark and mentally named him Rooster. I felt as if I owned the world, being the only human inhabitant. There I could stand, and be me, no one to criticize, no one to consider but myself. What would I do with this day? As the sky began to glow pink I offered up all hidden darkness inside. Dragged shivering and exposed, those old fears and hurts evaporated and shrank. I smiled at my own melodramatic scenario but the truth is, it was a new morning and I had started it by taking charge of me. I could smell the wood smoke as someone stoked the morning fire. The cold was invigorating, the coffee was heavenly and the cigarette was divine.