As the earth adorns the cloak of darkness,
A masque it orchestrates
With various creatures at play,
Offering typical sights and sounds
Yet seeming bizarre each time –
Be it the waning moon
Amidst the shadowy clouds
Or the wolf’s howl in a distant village,
The haunt of the croaking frogs in a lake,
Or the insects buzzing and whining
The barking of dogs as if encountering something unearthly
And sometimes even the silence of the penetrating darkness
Brings in streaks of fear
And concocts fanciful images;
The sleepless night thus prolongs
The eyes refusing to close
And worries unfounded shaping into phantoms,
Fear assuming proportions
Carrying the remnants
Of deep sorrow, unfulfilled dreams,
Strained relations, bountiful obligations,
Or failed expectations,
Half asleep, half awake
Dreaming with open eyes
On the threshold of day and night;
But then the heart warms up
To witness the first streaks of light
A dawn that is ushered in
By the soft chirpings of the avians
As the fiery clouds of the night disappear,
The mind looks forward
To a new beginning
Erases all clouds of doubt
And starts anew
Holding on to the present
And moving with head held high
To wade through life’s deluge..
Dawn
