Creative writing submission from the Rest Less community – submit your entry here.
I can’t remember the last time the Easter weekend coincided with putting the clocks forward, but unfortunately my body has it’s own rhythms and completely ignores Greenwich Mean Time anyway. This means that at just after five AM on the 31st, I was wide awake with my interior clock refusing to allow me to sleep past first light, regardless of how good my blackout curtains are. It’s like my body just knows and is having none of it.
Getting up, I found myself and my furry companions washed, dressed (me only!), and breakfasted by eight AM (really seven AM), so popping Arthur’s lead on we set out together for a morning walk, thankful that it was dry outside. We only saw a handful of people and to each we wished a ‘Happy Easter’. As we pootled along companionably, I allowed my mind to wander, as I am oft to do.
Suddenly, I saw something move out of the corner of my eye at the base of a tree. On closer inspection, a small, silvery grey, furry head popped out from between the emerald, strong stems of two tall daffodils.
Two long, sleek ears appeared, their coral pink interiors in pale contrast to the tiny silver grey hairs that shimmered in the morning sunlight. Black, intelligent eyes looked up at me and blinked above a soft, irrepressible nose that twitched in perpetual motion, the whiskers wiggling about in sync.
“Oh” I exclaimed to Arthur, “it’s a bunny!” And I swear I heard him reply: “Correction, it’s an Easter Bunny!” With that, I noticed that the rabbit wore a pale blue, silk bow around his neck and that at the top of the daffodil stalks were small Easter eggs wrapped in jewel-like coloured bits of paper. As I watched with my mouth open, the rabbit, using his opposable thumbs (I know…rabbits don’t have opposable thumbs!), rolled a small egg forward, wrapped in gold and green paper, proffering it towards me.
Quickly, I shook my head and closed my eyes for just a moment and on opening them again I saw Arthur looking up at me quizzically and…no rabbit – with or without opposable thumbs! Recognising that I might be more tired than I thought, I jollied Arthur along, suggesting that we go home now, a cup of coffee apparently essential.
Strange, I thought, as we made our way home and I noticed that there were no church bells ringing out on the morning of Easter Sunday, calling in the faithful to celebrate the resurrection – something I remember so clearly from my childhood. So much has changed within my lifetime I mused, and yet, in many ways, life is a constant. As with the seasons, the celebrations of the calendar roll around regardless, even if we change the ways we celebrate them.
There are still those that go wassailing in January or hail the sunrise at Stonehenge come the solstice as there have always been since the dawn of Christianity. In spite of the lack of bells, I’m told that many churches still hold traditional sunrise services at Easter (particularly for women), signifying the finding of the empty tomb at sunrise. Though no longer a Christian, I still find Easter a special time – a time to contemplate new beginnings and new horizons.
Almost home, I find my thoughts moving to more mundane things, but I cherish the times my furry companion and I spend out in the mornings. For me, it’s a time of joy and wonder and it’s the time when many of my ideas for writing come to me; inspired by a visit from a marmalade cat, a close encounter with a robin, or even a rabbit with opposable thumbs!
“What’s she on about?” I hear you say. But, this is my imagination I’m afraid and there’s no room for doubting passengers – it just is what it is.
Smiling to myself, we turn into the lane. Arthur picks up the pace as he thinks about greeting his sister and just perhaps having that extra bit of breakfast I always offer him after our walk.
Finding the keys in my pocket and talking to him as I open the garden gate, I see something move, demanding my attention. Quite sure this time, I see a small, silver grey rabbit hop lazily off behind my car and I chuckle.
“Stop it!” I say out loud and moving on through the gate, I unhitch Arthur’s lead and lock the gate behind me, leaving my wayward thoughts firmly behind, reality now demanding my full attention.
Are you feeling creative? We are proud to have a hugely talented community on Rest Less, which is why we’re so excited to open up a section of the site dedicated to showcasing the wonderful and diverse writing of our members. If you have a piece of creative writing that you’d like to share with the Rest Less community – you can do so here.