Urban Dawn

As the sky slowly sheds its midnight cloak and slips into a rose‑coloured veil, it is time for you to rouse from your slumber.

All around, the world is stirring. Roads are coming to life with traffic. Delivery trucks rumble companionably next to a handful of cars. The occasional cyclist hugs the kerb, the tyres of his bike hissing on asphalt. Overhead, a train rattles past, more empty than full, a precursor to the morning rush.

Lights blink on, squares of white and black patterned across high rise homes. Children are coaxed out of beds and shepherded through pre‑school rituals. Soon, adults will hit the park for a run, joining the elderly who have already done an hour of brisk walk or tai‑chi. Somewhere under an umbrella tree, a jungle fowl crows.

Before you get swept up by the frenzy of the day, gather this moment for yourself. Fill your lungs with the breath of a new morning. Take in the palette of the sky. Listen to the koel sing outside your window. Let all this settle in the spaces within you.

Know that this day is not yours as of right but granted as a privilege.

Now go make it a good day.