The crisp cool air catches my cheeks,
like a mother holding the face of her child in her palms–
I gaze back into her eyes:
A slow and gentle awakening
It is almost dawn,
darkness permeates the street
My footsteps echo,
their paws pitter patter,
they rustle the leaves that cover our road
My brain yearns to make lists,
plan out all the tasks that need to be completed by sunset,
but I resist,
focusing instead on the chill and how alive I feel.
I walk, we walk, while the neighborhood sleeps
Like rulers of this kingdom taking a celebratory stroll
With the quiet air,
I am at once free of and full with the strings that tie me down, yet warm me up.