Hardship

By Avishi Singh

A rock to the face, that’s what hardship is

A rough shift in the course of the air, that’s what hardship is

A reluctant change of direction, that’s what hardship is

A grubby patch in the equilibrium, that’s what hardship is

A vile rip in the calm of life, that’s what hardship is

Enough to whisk one’s breath away,

To strangle all logic and sense from one’s mind

To throttle all understanding from one’s thoughts

To confiscate any momentum of clarity of one’s life

Those moments of screaming, crying, sadness, anger, are what hardship wishes to

elicit

Those moments of wonder, confusion, shock, fear and panic are what hardships

want to elicit

Hardship smiles like a malicious cat waiting to pounce in it’s prey

Grins like a wolf waiting to devour it’s supper

Licks it’s lips relishing the very thought of scavenging the tidbits of it’s doomed

target

Squeals with joy upon spotting with it’s hawk-eye vision it’s next fated target

But, when examined through the lens of introspection, hardship teaches us patience

Teaches us sense

Teaches us value of morals

Teaches us decision-making

Teaches us faith

Brings to us hope and her ephemeral and robust will

Brings a potent understanding of the fact that life will never allow the river of our

plans to flow the same course forever and ever,

The course must be altered for new terrains to join the journey,

Some must pass by

Some must stay on

By Avishi Singh