Friday 9 November 2012

I'm hovering.  How is this possible?

I'm looking across the city that I love but seeing it from a brand new perspective.  The people below me are going about their lives, oblivious to or disinterested in my presence as they scurry to and from their intended destinations.  Is this normal?  Nobody seems startled or alarmed.  I don't remember being able to do this before and it seems at once both strange and completely natural.

I look left and see a large multi-coloured wing.  To my right, yep there's another one.  I don't feel like I'm doing anything, but they seem to be keeping me in the air. 

My arms hang loose by my sides.  Slowly I raise my right arm - bit of a wobble there but I'm still upright.  Now I lift my left arm, and suddenly feel a bit silly - hanging here with my arms above my head.  Still no wobble though.

From my unique (to me at least) vantage point I can see over some of the buildings nearby but not all of them.  "How do I get a bit higher?"  As I realised I'd have that thought, I started to ascend slowly: now I can see over a few more buildings.

"Hmmm, that seems easy enough.  Now, how do I turn?"

Slowly I start to rotate.  The tallest building is behind me now and I'm seeing crystal-clear blue sky and the lazy river stretching across my field of vision with its network of road and foot bridges teaming with rush-hour cars and pedestrians.  "Well, I don't know how this has happened but I don't think I want it to stop."  Still nobody seems perturbed.  There's nobody else up here either, just me and the birds.

"Aw wait a minute!  Did I die and get reincarnated?  Calm down, do any of the other birds have arms and legs?"

I decide to try something.  Rotating slowly till I face the tallest building, I lean forward.  Not bending at the waist, but moving slowly from the vertical to the horizontal planes, I start drifting towards that building.  I hover over the building, then gingerly touch down on the roof of it.

"So, this flying stuff isn't so hard, right?".  I spend a few minutes drinking in my latest view, and marvelling at my new-found view over the city's historic west-end, towards the university that's what, 700 years old?  Suddenly I have a crazy thought and leap from the edge of the building - as I start to fall, I catch myself and hover directly outside the office block's windows - I can see in and nobody is concerned.  I can also see my own reflection, and it's definitely me alright, albeit with these magnificent wings.  I swoop over to the motorway overpass, executing a graceful landing before taking off once more, bound for the roof of the library.  This is so much fun.  I wish my wife was here.

My wife?

I'm lying next to her - she has most of the covers whilst I've got the bed sheet that I need.  The room is bathed in sunshine and I'm late for work...

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