The messenger pigeon woke me up this morning.
Not metaphorically, a real one.
Wings flapping like a telegram from the sky.
So I got the message: time to move.
So I ran.
I started by taking every off-trail path I could find
Wide open fields, little hidden trails, places no one else was.
I wasn’t chasing a destination
I was chasing quiet.
Solitude.
A conversation with the parts of myself that only show up when everything else shuts up.
At one point, something cut my leg.
Just a scratch.
I was listening to two squirrels at the time.
they seemed mid-conversation, and I had to see what all the hype was about.
It didn’t feel like pain, just a nudge.
Keep going.
Then the shift:
Started running toward signals.
But what those signals are —
That’s a secret for another day.
Five miles later:
Clifton Ings.
Clifton Park.
Leeman Park.
No mud. Just grass, air, and rhythm.
Then came the walk.
Showered. Reset. Kept going.
I wandered through St. John’s University —
And this time, I got in.
The Creative Design Building opened up to me.
And inside…
Quiet beauty.
Intentional structure.
It didn’t ask for attention, but it had mine.
Then came the city:
Walker & Preston’s Jewelry — closed ‘til Monday.
Barley Hall — a soft invitation.
And Burlington Avenue —
something in me said it needed to be walked today.
So I did.
Nothing dramatic happened.
But it felt complete.
At one point, I found myself surrounded by four strollers.
Families orbiting, joy in motion.
Then a mule crossed my path.
Nice ass. Didn’t want to be touched.
Understood.
Eventually, I let the wind guide me.
No plan. No pressure.
It led me to a playground.
I stood there a while,
Watching.
Imagining what it would feel like to return here someday
Not just as a wanderer,
But as someone who belongs.
My sense was I needed to check out Dudley St/Ct/Ave, too. However, did you know that “Dudley” means ‘Dry field?’
Perhaps there are more fields for me to run tomorrow.
A dry field that needed crossing.
Another stretch of space between here and whatever’s next.
And that’s fine.
More for me.
I don’t need answers yet.
Just direction.
Motion.
A reason to lace my shoes again tomorrow.
Some paths are planned.
Others are felt.
And some, like today, just need to be walked.
I’m still watching the mirror.
Curious to see what it will reflect back next.
But I’m already moving.
— D