New Noises

Noises

The first night that I slept in my new hometown, in my borrowed bed, I kept hearing a noise.  It was not a frightening noise but it was a noise that I could not readily identify.  It was sort of a murmur, a sighing, a whisper.

I lay awake for quite a while, thoughts tumbling about in my head and, in the background, the noise, which was coming from outside.

I finally identified it!

It was the evening breeze rustling the leaves on a full-grown, very tall,very robust cottonwood tree in the neighbor's yard.  The wind would come in waves and the leaves would rustle in waves and I was soon awash in waves of memory - of childhood trees and soft breezes.

I slept well that night.