The Cycles of Hope

by Shirley Lalrinfeli

Difficult as it may be, one can always find solace in the vicissitudes of nature, knowing that these cyclical changes will turn full circle and restore life. In the midst of this crisis, let us not forget that humanity has survived countless pandemics. Shirley Lalrinfeli captures her thoughts in this poem.

There is solace in the unchanging arrival of the birds in the morning
And in the knowledge that they will come with music.
This said, it is not that the birds will always come.
It is not that the flowers will always bloom.
I go to the fields in the morning and see
The early rays of the sun on dewdrops.
It is comforting, this awareness that these cycles will continue.
But they are also inevitable, these minute changes in nature –
These changes that make the rain stay some days
And then bring a year-long drought.
 
We hope for the arrival of the birds,
For the continuation of these cycles
Even in the midst of a world-wide tragedy,
Even with knowing that the birds may be gone some days
To come back a while later,
When the rain subsides;
Like the two black and white birds down in the valley below
That arrive with the rain, seek shelter
And emerge with the calm – from the bushes,
Searching for worms in tree trunks and rebuilding nests
That will last a season, if not longer.

Shirley Lalrinfeli has an MA in English from the University of Hyderabad. Her works have appeared in the journal of the Mizoram English Literary Society. She has won several awards for her poetry and short stories. She hopes to become a full-time writer one day.

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