Very lazily and sleepily I move upwards and peep over the side. Everything is still very peaceful and quiet – sleeping.  My heart feels a great joy and calm.

I move further up, bringing light and a new dawn to the world.  A bird fights to pull a worm out of the soil; a wolf heads home to feed its hungry cubs and man steps from his cave and prepares to go hunting.

I smile down with brightness upon this, my realm.  With great pride I bring life to this creation.  My life giving light shines down and I am thanked.  Nothing takes my light for granted and it is appreciated.  A bird sings a joyous song, a bear stands on hind legs and stares upwards, a pack of wolves frolic in a glen and man leaves a gurgling baby outside to play and soak up the sunlight. 

A burbling stream flows down the mountainside.  A fish races along to the surface of the water and glistens in my light as it jumps.  Butterflies flitter, flashing fascinating colours while bees bustle from flower to flower.  A rose opens up its sweet red petals and light sparkles off the dewdrops formed on its leaves during the night.  I am satisfied and pleased with this way of life and hope that it will remain this way forever.

Centuries pass…  

The world is in turmoil and great disorder is evident everywhere.  The crow sits fearless upon the scarecrow.  Greed causes man to poison crops just to prevent other animals receiving their fair share.  Rain forests are cut back causing a reduction of oxygen on earth.  The ozone layer is thinning causing the overheating of the earth.  Animals are kept in enclosed areas instead of roaming free.  Fish float belly-up in dirty, polluted water.

I shrug off sleep warily and move hesitantly upwards dreading what this new day will bring.  I force together every ounce of courage available to me and look over the side.  Smoke, dust, chemicals and who knows what else block my view of the earth.  But I persist and force some light through, causing the smog to disperse slightly.

How can man do this? Why?

A dog howls, a baby cries, cars hoot, a tiger paces angrily up and down its cage.  Man leaves home to work in factories and industries spewing muck into rivers and discharging foulness into the air.  Artificial light shines from windows and on streets.  My light is taken for granted and not respected as it once was.

I feel furious at the foolishness of man.  Don’t they realise that they are bringing about their own end?

I stare further to that beautiful mountainside where I once shone upon a gurgling baby.  It looks like a barren wasteland covered in refuse.  There are no trees and the stream is now parched sand.

I wish I could change the situation and return life to the way it once was, but I am helpless.  I feel disappointed and somehow responsible for not being able to prevent this.  My soul has been slaughtered by this stupid destruction of the world.  Never again shall I provide my brightness to a heartless, pernicious, greed-ridden life form, which has no respect for any other creation.

I move back down at the end of the day, never to shine my light again. 

Darkness!