A Chance of Hope

By Shagun Shukla

It was to be - my bleak summer morning
Snappy sunlight seeped through shut window panes
A lone magpie somewhere, “wake up” it beseeched
I squirmed my eyes shut not to sleep
Rather let my mind, wander in labyrinth lanes
Even as the amygdala closed its dendrites
Stopping the pain, floating in and around
My heart beat a dull octave, if ever there was one
By the window, the lanceolate fronds of the mango tree
Swaying in the soft breeze, “dance” called out to me
Yet I lay on the crumpled bed
Hanging in time, watching my life unfold
A kaleidoscope from afar, never near
Because more potent than dying
Of the unknown, is the fear
And then I blinked
Through the prism of filtered sunlight
Floated in a feather, grey and white
It sank beside my being
Fragile, yet feeling my sorrows sublime
“Live and take the chance, let me hold you up” it whispered
Through moments of despair, life goes on
Because more vital than fear, is the hope that love grows on

 

Shagun Shukla from India is an author and Reiki practioner with a scientific background. Her first book “Altitudinis - Seekers, Sinners & Secrets” is a collaborative romantic thriller by 10 amazing Indian writers and is available on Amazon