Silence, in soil deep.
A seedling stirs from its sleep.

With tender shoot and fragile root,

Every fibre of its being yearns,
For the warmth of the sun.

But oh, the earth, so brute and cold,

The weight of above, a cruel surprise.

Buried deep, a race began.

Each inch a battle, each push a strain,
Yet still, the seedling dares to gain.

Through cracks and crevices, it fights,
Against the odds, against the nights.
For even in the darkest earth,
It yearns for the sun’s pure light.

Though winds may howl and rains may pour,
The seedling bends, but breaks no more.
For deep within its tiny frame,
Lies strength to endure the pain.

With each dusk, a leaf unfurls,
A whirling bloom, for what it’s worth.

In dawn’s embrace, the seedling awakens,

To find its light eclipsed, its warmth shadowed.

For the true fight for life’s rightful claim has just begun.

But now beneath the surface,
Lies the courage to reach for the sky.

Writer – Sophia Kong
Editor – Sophia Oblefias
Artist – Sophia Pu

–May 2024–