A Flower Bud in the Dark, Still Waiting for Light
A flower bud in the dark can still hold a trace of light. In this photograph, almost the entire frame is swallowed by shadow, yet a small reflection remains at the center. That faint light felt closer to my mood than anything cheerful I could have written.
Over the last three years, I have learned again what it means to remain in darkness. I have felt it personally, seen it in my country, and watched it spread across the world. Tonight, it is 12:10 a.m. as Sunday turns into Monday. I am adding this photograph with a glass of beer beside me, but I do not feel like writing cheerful things.
There is so little around us that feels cheerful enough to pass from one person to another. I may call myself unlucky, but what about my beautiful country?
The photograph itself is old. I worked on it again in Lightroom, and what emerged felt very close to my state of mind. Only close, because unlike the plant in the photograph, I do not yet feel a fresh bud growing inside my heart. Ah, how I miss carrying something new and alive within me.
We all know that flowers eventually lose their petals, but they should fall when their season arrives. Not suddenly. Not before their time. Too many buds have gone. Too many flowers have gone. Too many young people who still carried dreams have gone.
Recently, I saw a news report about a father whose daughter was trapped beneath the rubble. She sent him a voice message: “I cannot reach Mom. I think I am going to die too.” She died.
How does a father carry pain like that? He hears his daughter’s voice and then must somehow continue breathing. Part of him dies with her, again every hour and every minute.
I cannot simply leave justice to another world. I want every person whose negligence helped create such pain to face the consequences here, in this world.
Normally, I love joking around. I can even do it while my heart is bleeding, perhaps just to keep my mind balanced. I do not know how much it helps. I am sorry if this writing pulled you into the darkness with me.
May we all find magnificent sunlight, grow new buds, bloom, and let our petals fall only when their season truly comes. A flower bud in the dark is not a promise that everything will be fine. For me, it is a reason not to stop waiting for light. ❤
For another photograph where color continues to live inside shadow, visit Purple Bougainvillea in the Quiet Shadows.
BE
