It was midnight when she walked home, taking the shortcut behind the counselling centre. A cool soft mist felt good on her face. No moon to light up her path, she tread carefully, stumbling over tree trumps and fallen branches from the long winter that had finally passed. As she reached the street, she noticed the street lights were out and blackness shielded her way.
Suddenly, there was loud crack in the sky. She counted “One thousand and one, one thous…” the sky lit up telling her the lightening was fairly close. Grandmaman always said, “Si tu es en vélo ou tu as des semelles en caoutchouc l’éclair ne te touchera pas.” Well, now, who could argue with Grandmaman! For once she was happy to be wearing her Hunter boots she had just purchased. It was a frivolous expense but the money was a present for her milestone birthday.
Now the rain began to pour and she knew running would not stop her from getting soaked, so she walked at a slow pace, lifting her face to the sky letting the raindrops cleanse her weariness.
treading through darkness
allowing thoughts to simmer
draped in its safety
Faces of youths flashed in her mind, their voices expressing their pain. Sadness, confusion and hopelessness proclaiming their needs turning into a cacophony until all she could decipher was a steady rumble.
Another crack erupted from the sky and turned into an explosion of lights. Just as she was entering the Métro, she sighed…who knew?
nature takes its course
granting ever so wisely,
what we need
Like thousands of empty shells until you find a pearl of enlightenment, darkness can be your friend.
©Tournesol’17/03/30
A wonderful haibun!
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Thanks so much, Janice.
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That’s very profound. I’ve been thinking about troubled youths today too. They are like empty shells. It’s hard to know what to say to them sometimes.
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Yes, and they seem to start so young with adult worries.
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They sure do. It is very difficult for them. When I was young I loved Dylan’s music and was worried about nuclear weapons but I still had fun – lots of it. These days they worry about the worldbut they don’t seem to have much fun.
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I think kids have more to worry about these days then we did. With the internet, they have too much in their face every day and night
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That could be part of it.
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