The Night the Wind Became Loud

The moon was full tonight, although the clouds kept taking it away.

Every few minutes it would appear again—pale and distant—before disappearing behind another layer of gray.

The wind was stronger than usual.

Branches moved outside the window, and rain came in short bursts against the glass.

I sat there longer than I meant to.

There are nights when silence feels too empty.

This was not one of them.

Tonight the world was loud enough that I did not have to be.

I thought about the window I used to sit beside when I was younger.

Back then, I could spend a long time watching the darkness outside.

There were forests not far from the house and very few lights beyond the road.

Sometimes I wanted to walk out anyway.

I never knew exactly where I wanted to go.

I only knew I wanted the feeling of being somewhere no one could see me.

I understand that feeling differently now.

It wasn’t darkness I wanted.

It was freedom.

For a few minutes tonight, with the rain against the window and the moon disappearing behind the clouds, I felt something close to it again.

Nothing needed an answer.

Nobody needed anything from me.

The night simply existed.

And so did I.