If I should see a gesture of new hope
In my waiting of the darkness of the night
To mellow down into the light
Light of new beginnings
Light of new knowledge
Light of new findings
Light of all that inspires and transforms
Light of empathy that discards
The primordial practice of othering

For to find the sun of the new day of the new year
I groped, stumbled, continued groping
Yonder, my efforts elicited a road.
A road that leads to love, to champion love
Love for all the good that God created
A love that is inclusive
A love that is unconditional
A love that unites and strengthens
A love to dream
A love to chase one’s dreams

The predecessor to this new year yet again reminded
That all we see , touch, smell, hear, or whatever
They decay and die when their scythe of time comes

And did you not notice the resilience of the people?
Their courage of not surrendering
On the face of all wreaked havoc
A courage to rise and hope for a better tomorrow.
And shall we not see that better tomorrow is this day.
It is today. It is now.

****************

Jamil Ahmed (Azad)
English Language Instructor, Umran Green School