Deep into the dark hours,
when thunder holds its
impromptu concert,

a bounteous coconut tree
takes a hit...
a cruel dart of lightning.

The fronds are drying fast
and the forecast seems bleak.

After waiting many months
for the revival of this
stolid giant in the backyard,
hope falls as the termites arrive
and even wet sacks draped
over, offer no succour.

After a long gap...
during which, the empty space
where the tree once stood,
begins to prey on my mind,

a bright flowering plant,
making its mark elsewhere
is transplanted to the spot

but to my luck, it has
a mind of its own,
bettering even the
lightning-struck coconut tree
at the pace at which it
began to dry  up
and after many futile months
of keeping my fingers crossed,

just when I concluded
that the fateful spot,
had better be left empty,

Nature stepped in,
with its rejuvenation brigade,
armed with green sootheners,
to lift my spirits.