When the music stopped playing, he left her in the night and walked. The evening air was crisp, even salty, and a bright half-moon was shining high in the sky. But it didn’t matter; there were plenty of lampposts lining the walk.
He was barefoot.
A stranger passed him by, taking a midnight snack of trail mix. He paid no notice to him (a mistake!), and kept walking his way. He winced as his feet touched rough gravel, but the pain faded as he remembered how his Master walked with bloody feet through the streets of stone and the paths of sand. Then the gravel turned to smooth asphalt, and he started to whistle a lullaby, off-key.
Searcher of hearts, from mine erase… all thoughts that should not be…
The same stranger turned the corner and walked up to him.
And in its deep recesses trace my gratitude to Thee.
He stopped, eyeing the other guy warily. The stranger simply smiled and continued to happily pop peanuts in his mouth. He was about to start up a conversation, but the stranger walked away. At a loss, he began his walk afresh, but he was a little shaken—more so than he would have thought normal.
Hearer of prayers, o guide aright… each word and deed of mine…
His walk brought him to the fountain of eternity. What a funny name! It was turned off, and the water lay stagnant. You could see the bottom of the shallow pool, where leaves and other debris cluttered the floor. No pennies in this fountain; college students are poor.
Life’s battle teach me how to fight, and be the vict’ry Thine.
On the other side of the fountain stood a pair of ducks in the odd posture birds assume between sleep and watchful unrest.
Giver of all, for ev’ry good… in the Redeemer came…
The drake stood guard while his beauty contentedly withdrew one leg and balanced on her left clawed toes, gripping the edge of the fountain.
For raiment, shelter, and for food, I thank Thee in His Name.
She dipped her head into her downy feathers that lined her neck, at ease, because her mate would protect her from the boy sitting across the pond.
What a wonderful sight, the boy thought to himself. The lovebirds weren’t beautiful or showy, yet they remained faithful, day after day, night after night. The drake nuzzled his partner’s feathers, preening her as a man might caress his bride’s hair. Even at eleven in the evening, a couple stragglers walked past the ducks, but they were unmoved, silently staring him down. The boy sat down, mindful of the lumps of bird poop (how long does it take for bird poop to accumulate into piles??), and dipped his tired feet in the cold water. The birds stirred, yet remained in their spot. They must like that spot, he thought. He couldn’t think of a way to quiet the birds, yet he didn’t want to leave the sight just yet. So he sang a lullaby his grandmother used to sing to help him sleep.
Father and Son and Holy Ghost… Thou glorious three in one…
The ducks didn’t seem in the mood for spiritual music, but he sang the message anyhow. They soon slept, and the barefoot boy made his way through the dewy grass, back to his bed, half-frozen but unquenchably glad at the miracle of humble love he witnessed.
Thou knowest best what I need most, and let Thy will be done.
Then the music began again in his mind, and by and by, the everlasting arms lulled him to sleep.
I like analogies like this! One question though, what does the ending signify? (good job by the way!)
ReplyDeleteNothing really of importance. A little boy had insomnia, decided to take a walk when the music ended. He saw love in the ducks, created music to glorify the God who created music and love and ducks and little boys and fountains. He went back to sleep, sung to sleep by the music that began anew.
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