The Night Air
The substance that is air
Someone has a bonfire nearby where I live.
Now it's summer, so the stuff that they're burning, the foliage, must be rich with dewy sap. And it's giving the night air a smell like incense, that's gently hanging there.
But tonight, I have noticed for the first time, that the air is thick!
And I don't mean that as a throwaway comment.
I mean, the air feels right now like it's got a true weight to it.
A density.
Almost like my nostrils are breathing in something that's more like… a liquid.
It feels rich.
And it feels nourishing.
As I focus in, for the first time, the air doesn't feel like… just nothing.
And it doesn't feel like just something.
For the first time, the air feels like…
Some Thing.
This made me think about how rarely we actually experience air as nourishment, even though it sustains us every second. Beautiful reflection.
Such a vivid and sensory reflection. I can almost smell that sap-sweet bonfire and feel the thickness you describe. Like the air has taken shape, become a presence. There’s something so grounding and sacred about moments like this, when the world around us suddenly feels alive and full. Thank you for sharing this. Your words really brought me there.