(recuperation)

Enjoy the sunshine squirming through the blinds. Ignore the desire to stay in bed; crawl forth.

Shower. Eat. Pull on your favorite jeans and your favorite sneakers. Let the pink of the canvas tickle your fingers as you tie up the laces.

Get in the car. Pick up some beer. Chuckle at the name of it—Skinny Dipping. Drop it off on the picnic table, crack a bottle open, fall into the grass.

Take in the odors of the grill and the soil, the laughter and chatter, the soft woosh of a football flying overhead.

Sit in the full sun. Lie beside your friends. Listen. Relax.

When the time comes, arise with energy. Line up in batting order; give the large ball a solid kick. Run to first base; run from getting tagged out. Laugh and fall into the grass.

Enjoy the rigors of out-fielding. Jog after the ball; grin as you hurl it at an oncoming opponent; avoid getting drenched by his beer.

When the game ends, clap your hands together. Pat your teammates on the back. Keep that smile on your face. Then pick up the frisbee. Toss it. Chase after it. Learn to let it fly from beneath your up-lifted leg. Do a cartwheel, for old time’s sake. Return to the whizzing; to trying to catch the disk under a leg. Fail. Let laughter drop you back into the grass.

Let the running ease something out of you.

Rest your voice. It is not needed for everything.