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The Earth has a heartbeat.
It's faint, but if you listen close enough, it's there. There's a steady staccato of life just throbbing in Earth's core. It's a beautiful sound, but you'll only ever hear it if you're patient. Only ever hear it if you don't make a sound.
Luka discovers the noise when he's quite young. His mother takes him and his sister to the park one day. She lets them lay on the ground and just listen. At first, it's hard to hear the sound over the screaming of children. But then there's one beat. Then two.
His eyes go wide when he can hear the steady 'thump, thump, thump'. A look over at Juleka tells him she can hear the same. It's wonderful.
Mother smiles. It's then that Luka knows he wants to join Mother Earth's symphony.
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The water also makes a nice sound, if you stop to listen. Rain can make a nice accompaniment, and waves are a relaxing sound, but the sound of water rushing through the river is his favorite sound.
It's got the melody. Behind the flow of rushing water, the Earth's heartbeat shines through. They play a song together. It's familiar - comforting.
If it all gets too much for him, Luka comes to his hiding spot under the bridge. He sits and listens. It's a free concert of sorts. The sound is therapeutic. Hours are spent just listening to the water's melody, to Earth's song. Luka sits.
And he listens.
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He'd like to think that birds are the vocalists of the band. They sing sweet songs, croon melodic tunes. He likes listening to them sing in the morning. Their song isn't drowned out by the bustle of traffic then.
The grass underneath him is wet with morning dew. He sits on the ground, blades of grass running through his fingertips. Around him, the birds begin their morning melody. He hums alongside them.
It's a beautiful chorale. The birds harmonizing together, each with their own little ditty to trill. The sound of the river is a distant noise nearby. The Earth seems to pulse under his fingertips. It's heartbeat keeps the band in line, keeps the steady tempo going.
Luka smiles, letting the sound of the Earth lull him into a peaceful state of mind.
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"Shh." Luka brings a finger too his lips, soft smile on his face. "You'll ruin the fun… Just lay down and listen."
Around him, his friends lie down on the grass in the park. He's brought them here in the early hours of the day so they too can listen to Earth's lovely serenade. Everyone sprawls out across the grass, eyes up at the blue sky.
"You've got to be quiet," he instructs them in a low tone. "It's a bit hard to hear at first, but I think you'll love it once you do."
The group falls silent after a fit of hushing and giggling. The birds chirping are the most recognizable sound. Then, the sound of the water becomes present. Finally, finally, the ever-present heartbeat of the Earth comes forward.
There's a gasp. "I can hear it!"
"I can hear it too!"
His friends all murmur in excitement. They too now know the song of the Earth. They're quick to fall silent again, only to hear that sweet song.
A beautiful symphony, indeed.