I love the hour when the dusk falls

Gently, 

Like a mother is preparing for her lullaby. 

I love to see the sky wearing hues of crimson

And how the dash of golden hues making everything surreal

All at once. 

Today it didn’t rain heavy but the storm was powerful

It turned the weather cool

The scorching heat disappeared,

and the earth was drenched with the drops of summer rain. 

I decided to have a walk on the courtyard

To witness the golden hour. 

I saw the birds returning home

I saw the flowers smiling with peace

As it rained, everything was silent and still. 

After a round of anxiety attack,

I felt this all

calming the restlessness within. 

A few moments ago, I finished my chants, 

I was restoring my hope and faith. 

At this moment, I felt blessed. 

There was coming the sound of chanting from our temple, 

The sound of conch made everything pious. 

I was practicing mindful walking, 

Feeling the touch of the ground beneath my feet, 

Hearing the sounds of my surrounding, 

Smelling the rain-bathed earth, 

Closing my eyes,

bringing all my senses to the present moment. 

Suddenly, I heard the cuckoo’s song. 

It was singing in a nearby jungle, 

At the unreal hour when she was supposed to be at home like other birds. 

I kept hearing her song. 

It sounded blissful. 

For a moment, I wanted to be that cuckoo. 

Forgetting my worries and stress, 

Leaving my anxious thoughts behind, 

Taking myself to the world where nothing bothers me at all, 

I wanted to sing. 

When every other bird preferred to stay inside home

Because they were afraid of the lightening 

And the dark cloud gathering 

in the eastern part of the sky, 

The cuckoo was fearless to come outside

And sing aloud. 

“Coo-hoo-oo”, ” Coo-hoo-oo”, 

As if, it was saying, 

“Fear-you-not”, “Fear-you-not”.

She kept singing the song

And taught me how to be brave. 

(This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2023.)