Abrha’s Birthday – What is our gift to the world?

At d’Verse Poetics, today is not only Poetics day, it is Abhra’s birthday! Happy Birthday!!!! He has gifted us with an incredible poem by Tagore and as the Poetics Prompt, asks us to write about, what we would give to the world as our gift. Come visit to read Abhra’s post and to read the poems linked. What would your gift to the world be?
http://dversepoets.com/2015/10/06/poetics-what-is-your-gift/

The Last Thing Left Behind
World looked at the battered box with a carefully blank expression. “Very nice? Thank you, I think?” And indeed, I regifted World a previously given gift. The box was full of nicks, stained by tears and blood, rusted hinges, covered with dust and grime. I said to World, “this was given to you long ago but I think you have forgotten it. All the other items in the box are gone, only one item was left behind. Open the box World, open and remember.”

World shook the box. Something inside rattled from side to side. Content that it would not explode, World opened the box. At the bottom was a stone. As World brought the stone out of the box, it began to glow and pulsate. A fragrance like the breath of the sea, the incense of pines, the prayerful aroma of all the flowers in the world, the sweet sniff of the smell of a newborn baby’s soft little neck. World breathed it in and began to smile. Shoulders bent with care, bruises from wars, tears from sorrow – they all began to disappear, to heal. “What is this gift? Tell me, what is this gift that has the colors of sunrise and rainbows, the light of ten thousand stars in the darkness of night? Please, tell me.”

“Hope. Simply, Hope. Years ago when the box was opened, horrible things entered the world. But as all the evil left the box and entered the world, this one thing remained and will never leave – Hope. Never forget. Open this box often and enjoy this gift. Open the box everyday. Share the gift. It grows greater the more you share it.” World smiled and cradled the beautiful stone in her hands. She took the stone and placed it in my hand. “The sharing begins.”

cold night of winter-
stars break the darkness into
bits of light so all can share.

Pandora – detail from Greek urn – public domain