Blue

The long grass bathed his legs in cool dew. Perhaps ten minutes to the top now. His breathing deepened as the incline rose and his heart pumped. Early morning but the sun was already high and burning his neck. Today June was definitely his favourite month.

Bending to the hill he pushed hard for the last few steps and his blood coursed. He brushed a salty bead stinging the corner of his eye. As the ground levelled he surveyed the familiar scene and smiled in appreciation of his secret hilltop. Rabbits kept the grass short for him up here on the city’s steep roof. He sank to his knees on the soft velvety pile and rolled onto his back. Breathing easier now he looked to the sky and his focus drifted out to infinity.

He stared into the sheer cobalt blanket above. At its terrifying zenith a chalk line was scratched into the blue and at its moving end a silver speck glinted. It carried tiny souls 8 miles high, in heaven's void. His chest rose and fell smoothly, filling with sweet clean air.

A robin in the tight bramble whistled his insistent song to the breeze. The sleeper listened but lay still on the warm grass. Soon he would stand and drink the steep view, see the patchwork folds of the county and the miniature orange roofs. This climb set his world into perspective. He hoped for another 40 summers but he would honour each one as the last.

Big strides took him down. Looking back he saw the rabbits had already emerged to resume their busy chewing. Small hearts beating like hammers, as they cropped his grass sheet. Lower and lower he scrambled leaving the sky behind. On the horizon he saw soft grey smudges and shapes of soft white cotton in the blue above.

"Today is the greatest day I've ever known
Can't live for tomorrow, tomorrow's much too long."

Smashing Pumpkins – Today