Blossoming in the Time of Quarantine

When this summer’s heat settled itself,

I burned with the rest of the world.

Like butterflies pinned to a cutting board,

I felt trapped in my own home.

My home, which I usually found lovely,

Became the only place I could be in

When I didn’t want to.

I missed the outdoors more than ever before.

Travel and adventure are things of the past,

This year,

There will be no Olympic medals won.

A butterfly’s life is short-lived

And so was our time in the sun.

I found that the trees outside were still gentle

And the mountain that was my heart sang another dream.

My garden smells like rain that the seasons bring

And I feel the flowers in my chest bloom again.

The delicate blossoms spread as they bloom.

And if it weren’t for the rain,

This summer wouldn’t have blossomed.

And if it weren’t for this summer,

My hands wouldn’t have been cleaner.

As I stare out of the window,

I notice the butterflies flutter in the breeze.

I smile as I flap my own wings.

There is still a little prayer that lives within me.

About Diya Kumar

Diya Kumar is an 18-year-old Indian girl who will be studying English alongside Western Music and Psychology to become a writer in the future. Diya learns Japanese as a hobby, dreaming of visiting Japan more than once in the future.

Instagram: @bearcurrysenpai

翻訳　Yuko C. Shimomoto

編集　Emiru Okada

グラフィック　Ayumi White