A Day in My Dreams // Marisa Natoli
I may not want to be awake, but the best day begins before the sun has risen. The quiet darkness of early morning wraps her hands around my tired face, and the thought of coffee entices me out of bed.
Standing in the coffee shop, the windows are still black in the absence of the sun. The barista hands me my serotonin with a smile in her eyes, even in this early hour.
I drive along the coast; the sun is making her arrival on the east. Ahead of me, the West Maui mountains hold their arms up at me and wave, “over here!” Just as they are cascaded upon by a looming pink hue. To my right, waves roll onto the shoreline glimmering in a glassy tune.
In my yoga studio, I am welcomed by the swirling scent of palo santo and essential oils. The yoga teacher curls her hands around a morning mug and gives me a maternal smile. I set my mat down and gently begin rolling out my neck, my body yawns. I feel the stagnant energy from my stillness is sleep releasing from the grooves of my body.
I lay in my final resting pose, accidentally dreaming of my post-yoga river dip. But the gentle music reminds me of where I am, and the world outside the front doors is finding life once again. Tears well up in my eyes as the instructor softly drags her mallet along the edge of the crystal bows sending waves of a deep hum to caress my Savasana.
My practice comes to a close and I stand to gather my belongings, changing the pace of the morning. My car awaits me, collecting the heat of the festering day ahead. The steering wheel has become hot to the touch, but I wrap my hands around it and begin driving towards the valley. Ahead of me, the opening between the two mountains smiles. I think back to how many times I have done this drive, and yet I find more beauty each time I approach it. The colossal green mounds beside me bow down to my arrival.
I park my car and cross the road to the small opening in the shrubbery. Only a short distance down a steep hill to my favorite boulder in the stream. The trees shielding me from the stream open at last and I find the peace and quiet of solitude. I pull my clothes off my body and walk towards the gentle hum of the water. One toe in, then two, the water is cold but its blue and emerald glow allures me. Half my body becomes consumed by the brisk awakening, I embrace it with a deep breath and submerge. The power of its coursing pulls my hair away from my head and with one exhale, I imagine all that no longer serves me falling away with the stream. Coming up for air, I look up and feel nuzzled by the pulsing presence of earth herself. My hands reach up to the boulder stationed beside me and hoist myself up. My naked body lay flat on the smooth and warm surface. The sun caresses my face with gentle kisses and for a brief moment, it feels as though I am exactly where I want to be, and the world is simply quiet.
A Day in My Dreams // Marisa Natoli
Marisa Natoli is a junior from Maui, Hawaii, majoring in English. She is grateful for any opportunity she gets to share her creativity with others. Language arts has been a special part of her life. Although at times writing is a therapeutic internal unraveling, she truly enjoys creating work that feels ready to be shared with the world and hopes that her readers have a spiritual experience when reading her work.
Watchful // Madeline Keating
Madeline Keating is a junior from Overland Park, KS, double majoring in history and studio art and minoring in English. At Morningside, she is on the Women’s Swim team and is the Visual Art Editor for the Kiosk.
