Poem 4 The Kite PART I: Childhood Charm
This poem was inspired by the childhood charm of days past.
Once upon a time, children held hands and danced around a tree to celebrate the commencement of a new season.
Children crafted chains and crowns from a carpet of dainty daisy flowers that adorned the grass (my own childhood).
When a toy for a child was an Abacus or a minature sail boat crafted of wood by their grand-father.
When the bonds of friendship were formed from a message in a bottle.
When exercise for a child was a skipping rope or climbing a tree or rides in a wheelbarrow around the farmyard.
Sometimes, it was a tyre swing attached securely to a tree branch or a swim in the stream.
There was another beloved play item for children – the kite.
The sky would be serenaded in a sea of shades brilliant, as children learnt the art and craft of kite making at home.
Kites would fly high on a mid-morning Sunday sky until the sun set to rest. Soft and durable fabrics were utilised in the creation of kites so the winds could carry them far and nigh.
The kite was a childhood charm that hopefully, will one day serenade the skies again.
PART II: Kite beyond the Clouds
The present status of many lands in discord and distress and spirits in silent strife and stress was another point of inspiration for this poem.
The kite as a symbol is often depicted as a representation of freedom, a joyous spirit, childhood innocence and nature. It is free to float blissfully beyond the clouds, just as many knees bend in prayer for the serenity and salvation of their sufferings, their lands, their people, their neighbours and their earth.
The kite that glides across the sky, receiving her strength from the positive energy of nature:
The winds that guide her sail.
The sunshine that radiates the beauty of her creation.
The raindrops that reveal her resilience to fly high.
The clouds that bow to the aura of her presence as she adorns the sky in her serene silence.
The regal shades of sunset that light the path of her journey.
The cord that binds her to earth so she may return to the sanctuary of her home when her day is done.
The gaze of the kite sees all in her path and if she could relate the sights she beholds, there would be tales of peace and prosperity; of love and whispers of war; of harmony and words of harm; of hopeful hearts and weary spirits; of construction and implications of destruction…..
The kite is a symbol of simplicity, serenity, childhood charm, peace and a well of providence, from whence the people seek refuge in the comfort of her presence. May her presence in the sky above warm hearts and weaken hands that seek to inflict harm.
The chapter of childhood was a sacred sanctuary for many people who today, only see the winds of conflict and challenge. Some adjust to the winds; some stall in a windstorm and some sail through the winds because their gaze is affixed to the light beyond the winds – just like a kite.
Such are the choices that people can seek recourse to when the winds blow in a direction not compatible with their life journey. It is not always the easiest solution but eventually, all winds subside to a gentle breeze – and like a kite, we sail forward.
The kite as a symbol is often depicted as a representation of freedom, a joyous spirit, childhood innocence and nature. Picture: WWW.PEXELS.COM/Ty Nguyen
