Trees Three

© Steve Gray 2026

I tried sleeping, but lately it’s been difficult to do. Sleep has been eluding me, I have been tricked into a vertigo sense of mind wandering, an awkward vision moving state. It then clears up but I lie awake wondering when sleep, in its normal state will return. Alas tonight it does not seem to be on the return.

The overhead fan doesn’t help, I detest the noise as it spins, its speed just a touch too much for me. I arise, I wander to the back of the house, sip some water and now find I am fully awake. It’s well after midnight, that much I know. I dress and head out the front door to take a walk. A car in the distance has me wondering, as always, where they are going and then where they have been.

Across the road in the park, I slowly make my way towards the light at the end of the path. It’s an illusion, there is a pond that would prevent my arriving at the light. But I head that way. I sit at the park bench along the path and look out across the main section of the pond. The breeze is clearly stronger across the other side, as the group of three or so trees in a row over there are swaying strongly. The wind comes in waves and causes the pond grasses to move to some degree, then more so as the wind changes direction. 

Heavy clouds overhead allow the moonlight to shine through in bursts that occasionally show the distant trees as silver shimmering sentinels. There is the rush of the wind, then silence as the wind’s direction alters. The gleaming trees vibrate and tease my vision. I should have come with my glasses on.

There’s something about this time of night, moonlight, clouds and a somehow ‘perfunctory surrounds’. A few of the water birds cackle and squawk, then settle again. A car rattles by in the distance, again, I wonder. Where are they headed, and where have they been? Time to head off, the temperature has dropped. I no longer want to take in the vibe of the moon’s passing light. Sleep? It will probably happen after noon.