'On Fear'- A Poem.

We all have something to be afraid of. Each of us deal with fear differently, but I believe the 'right' way to deal with fear is to understand the essence of it. A lot of times, it isn't the physical entity or the actual being that frightens us, rather it is some uncomfortable, unconscious hidden feelings that arise when we deal with such entities that causes us fright. For instance, one isn't afraid of heights, but is rather afraid of the fear of falling. Understanding the root causes of fear, and learning ways to face one's fears is what will help us approach and succeed at several of the problems life throws at us. In trying times like today, with the Corona Virus and several of its variants closing in on our homes, building resilience is key. When we understand fear, we understand ourselves and become more resilient. To quote Nelson Mandela, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear, while being afraid of it anyways."

I recently came across some of my previously written poems, and found one that resonated with the central idea of fear, narrating the story of a young bird who is yet to learn to fly, but hesitates to leave his nest for the fear of falling. Feel free to put in your suggestions and/or comments below, as I appreciate each and every one of them.

As always,

Much Love

Suhani <3

On Fear

A little bird is afraid to leave his nest,

even though he is well aware it is for the best.

To take that mighty leap, oh so unnerving

in his nest lays the anxious little hatchling.

Not knowing what is ahead

he wonders if he will be soaring through the skies, or

on the ground dead?

His family has flown away,

he knows he doesn’t have any reason to stay.

Yet, the fear, so substantial,

engulfs him until he isn’t able to think.

This isn’t just a plan he can cancel,

or consider to be extinct.

The hatchling gathers courage despite his fear

he knows, or rather believes that,

his hesitations will soon disappear.

He takes in a breath, and fills his little lungs,

he jumps towards the heavens, praying his wings would hold up.

Forthwith he soared, and he was ecstatic!

He had done it!

He leaped, quite literally,

and had made it to the other side.

Gliding amidst the clouds,

confident in his feathery stride.

Now, there was no challenge he would ever put down.

However, surprisingly, he admits he was still afraid,

the fear within his chest was quite present,

burning brighter than a fiery rage.

It exhilarated him, and thirsted him for future endeavors,

He knew there would be more challenges,

several of which would up the stakes.

But, with courage, and fear keeping him alive, he knew he would succeed.

For fear isn’t our foe, it is the bridge that leads us to several of our good deeds.

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