cross country

june 29, 2024

today was a resplendent day in winston salem. i walked through reynolda gardens with a friend. the june heat hung heavy and pressed us into the earth where we belong. we were protected from the sun by thick trees that stood quiet and still in the unmoving air. the park was empty even though it was saturday. the gardens were holding up strong but the fields were yellowing and dry. we sat on a bench beside the primordial pond in the forest and a lot of good vibes came to me. memories from running there in high school.

i had a lot of fun on that team. running around on hot late-summer days after being cooped up at a desk all day. after a whole day spent with my bony ass on those wooden high school seats, and a series of adults telling me the facts about chemistry and spanish, running feels good. it felt good to roam and explore by foot for a change, when everything else in life was done behind the wheel of a car. the older teammates shared with the younger ones secret routes, secret creeks to cross and bridges to jump off of and abandoned houses to explore and where to steal popsicles. that knowledge transfer between classes was a beautiful thing. reynolda possesses a power and a charm in my imagination because of the history i have there. i wonder how many places i will love.