Door - 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes

The roosters begin their morning greetings. Soon the chattering of voices is heard; slowly and softly waking up. The brooms begin sweeping with a back and forth melody. The steps of people and animals pass by the door. The women begin pounding, a rhythmic back and forth song. There’s laughter and conversation. More roosters and other animals join the chorus.

The sun rises and the light streams through the door.

I remain on my bed taking in all the morning rituals that happen every day. From my vantage point I watch children running around. I see the women with their buckets heading to the well. I see men stopping to greet one another. I see the goats and chickens eating.

Soon it’s my turn to rise. To grab my broom and sweep. To open the curtains. To wash my face. To dress. To grab my bucket and head to the well. My door is open and covered by a piece of fabric. The wind moves it back and forth letting the occasional cool breeze reach me. I step out the door and into the family compound. The door leads to my home, my family, my community. It’s the same every day. The same sounds wake and greet me. The same tasks are ahead. The same joy met in the faces who greet me. The same hot, African sun rising for us.

The door opening to a day full of beauty.

These days my first sounds come from the alarm clark. A soft, gentle song to wake me for the day. Next it’s Isaac’s soft cries and babbles. “Mama, mama,” followed by Charlotte’s greetings, “Mama, mama, class, class!” I hear the dog’s paws up and down the hallway. The birds offer their morning songs. Cars drive by the house. I hear the movement of the blinds and curtains as Charlotte peers out her window watching the day begin.

The sun rises and the light streams into my room.

I remain on my bed taking in the morning sounds. I keep listening to the children’s voices. I picture them in their rooms. I offer a morning greeting to my husband.

Soon it’s my turn to rise. To wash my face. To dress. To pet and feed the dog. To feed and dress the kids. I walk out my bedroom door. The door leads to my home, my family, my community. It’s the same every day. The same sounds wake and greet me. The same tasks are ahead. The same joy met in the faces who greet me. The same sun rising for us.

The door opening to a day full of beauty.

**All month I'll be participating in 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes. Each day I'll take some time (sometimes 5 minutes and sometimes a little more) to sit down and write. It's about the discipline of writing each day. It's about listening to the words from within. It's about letting creativity work in me. I'll share my writing at some point during the day on my blog. Thanks for reading.