angel rays at the foot of the cross

hands in our pockets,
with the wind blowing just the right way,
and we walk,
just the five of us.

it was the loveliest group --
none of us are afraid of the silence,
and when we speak it is only if we think
it will improve upon the silence.
we only speak of the lovely and good
and beautiful.

walking up through the wind blown tall grass
and the mountains are before us
and behind us
and all around us,
and I'd rather not speak for fear of this as beautiful as a dream
vanishing.
i could walk here forever.

we are traveling to reach the cross.
they said it's at the top of a hill.
we can see it in the distance.
when we reach it,
we stand around it,
and we can see the sun shining across above the mountains
and the cross is white on the peak of the hill
and we, well we think of true love,
though nobody says it out loud,
i'm sure we all think of it
because the cross is where True Love acted upon that love,
gave everything up
to have us as His own forever.
because He loved us.

when we are ready,
we walk farther.
still we let the silence connect us in ways
words never could.
but we laugh when laughter feels right
and ask the questions we want to know answers to.
i ask Uncle Bill a bit about college,
and he talks to Lynnea about her art.

we reach the cross for the second time,
this time we are on our way back to the house,
and it feels sad almost,
because I don't want to go home.
i would like to stay here forever.
we reach the cross and the sun is setting behind the mountains,
it's coming from my left, and not up above,
but it is angel rays just the same.
the sounds that happened in my heart when I stood beside the cross
and the wind blew my hair and the angel rays shone on my hand
well, no one will ever know them.
i have too much self-control,
and i did not speak at all.

and we pass the barns and laugh at the smell,
and we see the little princesses playing next to the house
when the house comes in view.

Avery asks me about my photography

and i think Daniel and i reminisced a bit about times when we 

were younger cousins and playing in the woods was our favorite past time.

it is almost dark now --

we timed it just right.

and it was just a hike,

but it was a hike at just the right moments,

with just the right people,

and i don't think i'll ever forget it. 

i'll remember angel rays at the foot of the cross forever.