Night - the moment one thinks of this word, a black painting smacks our mind. An eerie feeling fills us, a spectre of deathly silence swells up. It’s the time when the veil of darkness covers weary eyes and one gets entangled in a tide of oscillating thoughts.
At the stroke of a late hour, the ashen clouds in the sky give the night a ghastly hue.
A moth flutters over my head dancing with an importunate buzz…the music of a silent night.
When I return home from work after a late evening shift, I am too tired to think, but too awake to sleep, I wonder at this marvel of nature… The beauty of the night!
The humming of the winds, the swinging trees, the hooting owls, chirping crickets – it is as if all of nature is playing an orchestra under the glowing stars. Far away, down a deserted lane a dog is scouring for food.
John Galsworthy had described the beauty of night in ‘The Forsyte Saga’ as-
“May night had fallen soft and warm, enwrapping with its grape-bloom colour and its scents the billion caprices, intrigues, passions, longings, and regrets of men and women.”
For some, night means the time when evil forces arise and spread their reign of terror. A time for somethin
g uncertain, even dreadful. For little ones, it is the time when witches ride on their broom-sticks, and invade their innocent dreams.
But for me, it’s the hour to make friends with darkness. A time to bid goodnight and sail into a perfect dream.
As I peep out of the window of my cab, the tender light of the moon softly lights up my face, and I capture the radiance of the stars in my eyes. Strangely, I feel as if I am on a date with darkness (Night).
I have never seen a face so sweet like it (Night) and feel that it can understand my silence. Oh, there is such majesty gracing the sky. I walk alone with it, for alone is not a bad way to be. It clears my head and helps me focus on my journey.
My beloved (darkness) waits for me the whole day, and then entraps me in its arms when shadows fall. All I feel is happiness, laughter and love.
It is a special time for me because the night allows me to listen to my soul, my inner-self.
It is at night, when my soul enlightens me that it is aloneness that is dying to be friends with me. Readily, I surrender to my soul.
When I am travelling down the quiet lanes to reach my home sweet home, thoughts that were in my sub-conscious mind gently surface - out come ponderings on wisdom, repentance and mystery.
All throughout the day, my soul keeps whispering to me, but I hardly bother to listen. Not because I don’t want to, but, just like anyone else, I am too busy listening to others.
Sometimes, I feel that we have been in the artificial night for so long that we have forgotten to value the actual night, which is a reality.
My soul makes me realize that this world is at war and we must all learn to fight it out. I slowly find strength, and buck myself up for the choppy ride ahead.
Finally, night ushers me to my residence to answer the call of my soft queen-sized bed, so that I might lull myself to some well deserved rest…and peace.
