The Dawn

Few people appreciate the simple joys of just witnessing something beautiful. The fact that some of these are free is probably what makes people ignore them. I cannot understand people who will pay large amounts of money to travel all over the world to see sceneries in other countries and then miss out on the simple joys of witnessing something as simple as dawn breaking. I love to do this and this is what one scene looked like.

It was dark when I arrived at the park. I glanced at my watch and by the luminous dial saw that it was almost 5:00 am. I sat on the park bench and waited. I heard a rustle of leaves above me and peered into the darkness at the branches of the tamarind tree under which I was sitting. An owl with a mouse clutched in its claws glared back at me. “Sorry,” I said and saluted the bird. She seemed to have understood. She took off gracefully and flapped her wings to hurry home; probably to feed her babies.

I waited in the darkness and heard a single twitter. Then more of the feathered orchestra joined in one by one. Soon it was a chorus as more and more birds began their song to dawn. I could distinctly hear different species amidst all that chirping. Then I looked up and saw the first streaks of light. The King was stirring and his first rays went into the sky as he lit up the clouds. The clouds took on a golden hue.

I kept staring and at the same time listen to the birds greet their king. Then I saw one group of clouds brighter than the others. King Sun was behind them. Then slowly his crest appeared and I felt the first rays strike the tree above me. Golden rays filtered through the leaves and streaked down to me. I felt bathed in the light. I lifted up my hands to salute to Giver of all Life. “Thanks, Your Majesty,” I whispered softly. Meanwhile, my neighbors in the trees took off in a gigantic wave and with wild chirping and twittering went off to look for breakfast. Another beautiful day had begun.

With a smile on my lips and a song in my heart, I got up and went to the roti-prata shop for my breakfast.