The Journey Inward

It's a Saturday morning,
and the dogs and I have slept in,
tucked beneath blankets,
body to body,
resting.

We make our way downstairs,
kibble for them, cereal for me,
the tea kettle heating.
I open the back door, 
letting them out for relief.

I settle in to my book and bowl,
content as always in this morning routine,
when I glance up and notice Spencer,
my little shadow,
never far from me, 
never far from his brother,
sitting apart.

This morning is different,
because he's alone,
out in the world.
He sits perched on the top step 
of the back porch,
looking out into our still sleepy back garden,
body still, but head and ears alive.

He is taking in the smells of early spring,
and his nose rises 
to catch a scent on the light breeze.
His head swivels,
to watch the birds swoop and alight.
His body is quiet,
but I sense his tingly feeling,
as if he might bound out at any moment
to chase a squirrel.

I am inside, 
watching through the crack of the open door,
and only rarely does he look back
over his shoulder toward me,
to see I'm still there.

His brother went back to bed,
not taking in the morning in quite the same way.
Spencer sits on his own, independent,
just a little boy greeting the day,
sensing the possibilities,
alive with the pleasure of what Spring holds.

I can't resist pausing my routine,
sitting and watching him with a kind of awe.
I sneak pictures and videos to remember this moment,
for it seems like one worth noting,
both in its simplicity and its depth.

When I open my vitamins,
the spell is broken,
because he mistakenly thinks I've got treats.
I send the pictures and video to my kids,
and one responds, "The simplest life,"
with a face with hearts around it emoji.
She gets it, too, this youngest of mine.

Life is so precious,
and it's often the change of seasons
that heighten our awareness of it.
This little Baby Boo,
on this mild morning,
leaving his family to sit outside,
and observe, witness, be in the world,
has given my day the very best start.


Photos:  Spencer.  3.16.25 by LA