A Musing: The Night's Cry

The Night’s Cry

Last night, as I tucked my grandson into his favorite place to sleep in my house, on the chaise in my treehouse room, surrounded by the ferns and vines, with the window by his head open to the deck, I became aware of a rhythmic sound somewhere outside. It was something between a squeaky hinge and the cry of a small being, a child or an animal.

An hour later, as I went up to bed, I heard it again. It was so persistent, every second, as if on the exhalation of a breath. I often hear the sounds of the wild life coming down to the ponds to water, or some animal‘s cry as it meets a predatorial match, but this was different. There was no change in the tone or frequency. What was it? The question and the sound faded into the consciousness of sleep.

I awoke at four this morning as the persistent sound invaded my drowsy awareness. It was still going on. Now, I was sure that it was indeed some animal in distress. Not that the cry had changed, more that it had remained completely the same. Many thoughts of rescue flooded my mind. Should I go out with a flashlight and track down the source of the distress? How would I find it in the woods without endangering myself? Should I wear gloves in case it was frightened and would try to bite me? No, I would have to wait until the day began to brighten and I could go about the land without foolish risks.

I lay in bed listening and praying for the speedy demise of whatever was in pain. It was relentless in its cry and I could not shut it out. Then I began to hear a subtle waiver in the strength of the sound. Some of the force seemed to go out of it. After a while, my vigil was over and the darkness became silent. I began to open up the Reiki codes, as I do every morning when transitioning into waking consciousness. As I went through the positions, I was holding the healing for the suffering beings everywhere on this planet this morning.

May we all find peace today.

Prema Rose