‘Who teaches us resilience?’ Poem by 15 year old Varisha Rehman from Delhi

One day a six year old,
Holding her father’s hand
Was following a road line,
When she saw a bunch of ants
Carrying pieces of cake on their back.
She stopped and observed for a moment.
Then asked her father why one ant was falling?
Her father said, “It is not falling, it’s learning to get up again and again and keep trying.”

A year passed. Now a seven year old girl was in a garden
She saw a fallen rose and took it to her father.
She said to him, “It’s a rose, but why does it have thorns, daddy? ”
Her father replied, “God gave it thorns to tell the world no one is perfect,  darling.”

Now eight, after a year
The girl saw a butterfly’s cocoon by a river.
She asked her mother, “Isn’t it dark in there?”
Her mother replied, “It is dark but once it’s out,
And it opens up her wings to fly,
The beauty will take over the days it spends now in darkness.
After every night, that ends
There is always a new light, a new day. Next.”

Now nine she saw news headlines saying pollution has risen.
She asked her mother,” Is mother nature hurt?”
Her  mother replied, “Yes darling she is hurt. She is sad and she wants humans to stop polluting her. ”
The girl asked, “Why doesn’t she scold the humans?”
Her mother said, “She does scold humans, darling.
But humans are like a child to her. She forgives them because she loves them.
She fights against every wrong done to her.
She stands back again to give an environment suitable for everyone.”

Now 15, the girl is asked what nature teaches us?
She replies with a smile on her face,
“It teaches resilience,
To stand strong even when you fall, even when you got thorns, even when no one is there for you.
Love yourself and accept yourself because that’s only what you can do.”