The Lotus Will Bloom

By Anubhuti Anwekar

"See that brackish water?
See that muddy puddle?
See that little flower
Sitting daintily in the midst of all this dirt?
Its petals unfurl regally: pink, white, red
Crafted lovingly by the hands of the Divine Painter.
Do you know what it's called?
They say it's a 'lotus.'
The lotus will bloom.

The quagmire engulfs almost everything,
But the lotus stands firm on its slender, tender stalk,
As though its petals are made of steel.
So delicate, yet so unbelievably strong.
Pushing its way through the mud, it grows towards the sun,
And the sun smiles down at it, brightening its beauty.
Come rain, come sunshine, the lotus will bloom.

Do you think the mud can swallow us?
Do you think we are now impure?
We, too, are made of delicate petals and nerves of steel,
Astoundingly beautiful and powerful.
The mud is not our weakness--
It is our strength.
Never forget: The lotus blooms,
And so do we."