Big Dreams

m a e a

here comes the sun
smiling down

Golden rays of afternoon light broke through a heavy cover of clouds just as Maea reached the shrine. A thin mist had begun to rise, and it glowed with rosy hues as golden rays played across its surface. It had been raining all day, a heavy downpour that filled the roads and pathways with small rivers and built lakes in every depression of the land. The fields were heavy with mud, the sheep bedraggled and wet where they grazed on greening meadows, and Maea was soaked to the knees from wading through the underbrush to reach this place.

But as she brushed away the tendrils of wet hair that had plastered itself to her cheeks there was a smile on her lips. As always, the trip here was worth every discomfort. She could breathe easy here in a way that just wasn't possible at the Temple, and seeing the sunlight fracture within the myriad of droplets in grass, on bushes and beading along the petals of every flower, she found it more beautiful by far than any glass window.

As always, she had brought offerings. A little wooden horse whittled from peppermint bark, the first few crops harvested from her kitchen garden, and a beautiful bead necklace; all were placed with care before the shrine. After lighting her candle, Maea knealt down and bowed her head, letting the stillness of the afternoon seep through and fill her with peace while she prayed.

Hush say the mists that drift and swirl through the glade; say the rains that breathe life and the sun that brings warmth. Hush and be tranquil, for the world is with you and thrums like a heartbeat. A gentle breeze whispers through the Glade, rustling leaves and swirling about the offerings, lovingly brought and silently accepted. But nothing further comes to greet the pale child.