Cheers to Better Days

Enjoying my busy sleep as I lay,
Lay on my weary thatched bed—
Oh, I mean a thatched mattress,
Or maybe some cartons with a torn duvet.

Though I slept like a Barbie or Prince Charming,
I heard the crow of my dark-golden cock behind the window.
“Cock-a-doodle-doo!” it echoed in my ears.
I stretched my lazy body and yawned aloud,
Hoping to shake the sleep off my eyes.
But I still felt my nerves pulling me back to bed.

I looked over and picked up my dear alarm clock—
You can also call it a gong.
I turned off its tune to start the day.
Crawling on my duvet, I grabbed a teacup—
Not for sips, but to rinse,
To wash away the dried saliva from my mouth.

I walked a few meters to the corridor,
Stood and stared at my thin self in the mirror.
I glimpsed my past through my collarbone,
Envisioned how the future might unfold.

I sagged my shoulders as I thought of life’s toughness,
Shrugged as I remembered life’s waves.
The stitches I’ve made in my world,
The cracks that kept reflecting in my mirror.
I wondered if things would ever get better.

Why not leave the future to be settled
By the One who provides even when unexpected,
By the One who gives me the strength
To strive and aim for success?

I rinsed my mouth with the teacup,
Washed my face, and paced back to the mirror.
I smiled sweetly and gave my reflection a handshake.

Raising my teacup to the air,
I toasted to a weary world.

The day promises to be better—
Whether sweet or bitter,
I hope it gets better.

The days to come will be brighter.

Cheers to better days I long for.

By Ruqoyyah Idris