Hope Poem by Barbara Nixon

Hope

The night lay silent
In slumber both beast and man
All.was as it should be
Stars cast their serene watchful gaze
On the sleeping city below
Another world awakening to bustle and hum
Creatures of the darkness
Busying themselves with cunning and guile
All was as it should be
Nothing stirred in stark streets
Only the clatter of bin lids
Dislodged by marauding scavengers.

A flag draped over a street lamp
Swayed gently in the breeze
Like a dying bird it fluttered
Flapping it's burnt wings
It's once glorious plumage
Grappling for life
Against the pervading
Breath of hate

Glowing embers of burnt out fires
Reflected on blankets of broken glass
A sea of glittering diamonds
Sparkling like a beacon in the moonlight
As if offering hope to a wounded nation.

As dawn broke and the sun rose
Birds sang heralding a new day
Their song seemed louder and intense
A penetrating defiant chorus
A chorus of undying hope.