a new day

Sunset. I sit on the ledge of the compound wall, watching the sun sink behind green mountains. Light plays from the yellow ball, swirling the clouds in blues, yellows and reds.
A light breeze dances through the cornfield below. Rice paddies breathe in deep this final moment before nightfall. A tall tree juts up from the field. Gangly stork.
Mark's words return to mind.
"After school, I must become a soldier. Everyone else is leaving for another country. Next year, I must stay and fight!"
"You'll die fighting a lost cause," I say.
He goes quiet. Was that a smile? A wrinkling of the face in disgust?
Everyone smiles, but behind the laughter depression sharpens its' fangs. Every throbbing question a bite for the heart. What is the future? Where will I go? Night is coming. The shadow is already here.
What is a sunset if not the promise of a new day? First there is darkness. But it will not last. A new day is coming. Tolkein coined the term u-catastrophe. A sudden change from bad to good. I hope for such an event.
Morning. The sun peaks above the eastern ridge. The triumphant athlete has made his circuit yet again. Light sprinkles in brilliant mystery. The stork tree is first to feel the new light. Can it tell the trees below? Will they understand?
It is coming! Don't give up! Look! Night is over! Day has come!