The countryside has a way of slowing down time.
The crashes of each raindrop against the leaves beside me
drum a beat that silences the clatter in my head.
I close my eyes and just breathe.
The grass’s dewy aroma is the sweetest perfume
I have ever encountered,
and the absence of street sounds is deafening.
The cool draft against my skin as this swing slowly sways
back and forth…
b
    a
         c
             k
                  a
                  n
                  d
            f
         o
      r
   t
h
is the guardian angel keeping me at peace.

I had forgotten what this feels like.