Soundwalk: An Inkling of Spring

       The cheerful "ring, ring" of a bicycle coming up behind someone hits me first. This is immediately proceeded by two strangers bickering-- "You're not supposed to be on your bike on the path. Walkers only! You're on your bike so that makes you an asshole!" to which a husky male voice replies: "Well you're not on a bike and you're still an asshole!" The bickering fades into soft background keynotes; nearby birds chirping, the low rumble of a truck far away and the very distant hum of a passing plane. The wind beats through the trees.
        Then comes more foreground sounds; the tick-tacking of paws clomping the pavement, the jingling of leash and collar, spurts of conversation ranging from intimate to obnoxious. A critter behind me is rustling through the leaves and I catch the approaching giggle of a little girl. Someone hocks a considerable loogie. Tall heels click-clack past in a hurried fashion. Someone sniffles their stuffy nose.
       I hear two large dogs throwing their bodies against one another, wrestling and yelping overjoyed. An old man's raspy Italian words float by as he addresses the inside of a stroller which is emitting gurgling, squeaking baby sounds. A sharp sound signal breaks the softness and the crack of plastic indicates someone dropped their phone on the pavement. A nearby chihuahua responds with a deafening cry of disapproval. I hear a young boy's curious Spanish words stroll past. Stroller after stroller creaks by crunching the dirt underneath the rubber wheels; they form a rhythm with the beating of shoes up and down on the ground. Distant chuckles just barely reach my ear.
      A large panting dog gallops by in sync with his jogging owner whose breath is quick and gasping. Fluttering feathers touch down right beside me and a turtle dove coos as she lifts off from a tree. Two French accents hurry by whispering thick gossip. The wheels of a scooter roll past on my left carrying a little girl singing secretly to herself. I hear the wet lapping of water against large rocks and suddenly the afternoon church bells float over the trees. All sounds indicate it's almost Spring in Central Park today.