The Music Inside*

[Scott Tweedie]

A young boy awoke in a soft meadow of lilacs and hyacinth where the gentle murmur of fluttering butterflies and bumble bees would lull his developing senses into a peace serene. Opening his eyes to his
favorite place on earth, half in dream and half awake, listening to the gurgle of a crystal clear stream, always fresh and new, yet still the same-he heard a song. Clearly he heard it, though he knew it was
of another place-more beautiful than his dreams-or even the song of his favorite meadow-it was of another place...another place entirely...yet somehow familiar...

The passing sound of a plane overhead brought his attention back to the meadow-and the celestial song, like calm water on a full moon, rippling from a breeze, faded back to glass-and he forgot it for a
time. A hummingbird flew up to his nose and he giggled as a butterfly chased a dragonfly around a tree. Happy he was to be alive.

Day after day he would return to his sacred shrine in the woods--graced only by his own bare or sandaled feet--or that of deer, rabbits, raccoons, squirrels and all four legged creatures--all of which were his friends. He learned to talk to them with his heart by standing gently and singing a soft song or just smiling. Even the wind and the clouds responded in kind to his heartfelt and pure offerings.
Sometimes a gentle rain would cool him when it was the hottest in summer, and the dewdrops would twinkle like stars on the tall grass.

He knew the exact day the caterpillars would emerge from their chrysalises. He also knew when a shooting star was about to fly like an angel across the night sky and he always made a wish for his
friends at the meadow when he saw it, that they would always have a safe, happy home to play with one another. He always listened to the chorus of the sundown frogs in a nearby marsh on his way home, as he watched all the stars come out...and the night owls hoot.

Gently, like sun on a flower in the morning, his mother would wake him for school. Together they would say a morning prayer on the swinging bench by the birdbath in their backyard and then share some muffins or toast and jam or honey, and off to school he went. He walked and skipped and hopped through farm fields and over streams and through the woods, always a slightly different route, to the little community schoolhouse by the river, where he learned what school was to him, a place to encourage his imagination and meet friends. His teacher was young and kind and the rest of the students were all friendly toward him. Sometimes they would go outside in the fresh air by the river and play. He liked this the most.

One day, while he was walking home after school, winding along the river path, he heard the celestial song again, and it stayed in his mind throughout the day. When he got to his favorite meadow, he could
sense that all of his creature friends could hear it to. They came even closer to him as if they wanted to be nearer to the music coming from inside of him. His smile was soft and round the whole day. He
kicked back in the tall grass and listened to the music as the sun went down.

As the night grew upon him and the meadow--he saw lights in the sky that danced to the music he was hearing deep inside of him...a green flash here, a blue streak there, a white pulse on the horizon—a rainbow out of the corner of his eye--and on throughout the night. Things he had never seen--or at least this vividly--were showing themselves, like the love of distant family members--and to the celestial music, they danced.

He awoke just before dawn to a brilliant golden light just above him...a crystal flute floated down from the light like a feather into his hands. He played a few notes and the whole meadow danced as one--all greeting the morning sun in one accord. The chrysalises all opened and the butterflies stepped onto the wind to dance. The dragonflies and hummingbirds greeted their arrival. Even a morning star shot across the sky...but they were all too busy rejoicing and dancing and greeting the morning to notice--the boy's song brought them so much joy. He soon ran home to tell his mom the good news.