A Park Bench

 

            When the sun rises, the drops of rain that have been covering me all night finally have a chance to evaporate. There goes Mrs. Fuller with her tiny, ridiculous dog. All fluff and nothing else. The ball of fur shakes itself when it accidentally brushes up against a bush covered with last night’s rain. How I long to shake myself like that dog.

I hate every drop of rain that will eventually turn my arms and legs into rust. Given enough time, the rain will also warp all of my wooden slats. These are just some of the worries of a park bench.

            With the coming of spring, the nights have thankfully started to get warmer. I’m looking forward to the summertime. That’s my favorite time of the year. So many people visit the park and this area comes alive. In my years of existence, I’ve witnessed some amazing things, most of which happen in the warm summer months. Picnics and parties fill the green yard, and I have plenty of company. I’ve been a silent witness to secrets shared that I can’t ever tell anyone.

Once, I even witnessed the joy of a young couple’s marriage proposal. I’ll never forget that nervous young man as he dropped down on one knee and asked his sweetheart to marry him. I could feel the happiness radiating from the young woman as she said yes.

            A jogger stops and sits on me, just as the sun’s rays finish warming my seat. He fiddles with the fancy watch on his wrist for a few moments before he takes off running again.

            Humans are always in such a hurry. They’re always missing out on the best things. The sun is bright and beautiful, and the world is coming alive. There’s a family of bunnies that lives in the burrow under the tree, and one of them just darted across the grass. I don’t think anyone has ever noticed them. I see all the wildlife that walks carefully across the lawn when the humans are gone. The quail bob through the grass, looking for seeds and bugs. There’s a snake den under the bushes, near the big rocks.

You’re the first person I’ve been able to tell these things to. Now you know how a park bench feels. Think about that the next time you sit on one. Open your eyes and pay attention. You never know what you might see. Who knows? You might notice the hawks circling in the sky or be able to enjoy the breeze that flows perfectly through here. Maybe you could even see a dragon. What, not real, you say? I challenge you to come here at night and look up at the stars. Who’s to say that there aren’t any dragons in the great cosmos?