Being forced to stay at home for most days renewed my love for reading. One of my recently read books that struck me the most is a collection of poems titled Songs of Sunshine and Rain and written by Australian author, Bruce Plant. Childhood and innocence are the book’s main themes, which also features an enticing artwork for every poem. Plant managed to string together his words subtly and quietly, giving birth to stanzas that will make you remember your simple life as a child.
One of the poems that stood out for me is in Chapter Two—Transience and the Seasons. The poem talks about impermanence and how people’s feelings and emotions can change in a snap. The words are simple, yet they convey a profound meaning once strewn together. It is also a subtle take on how people have a tendency to make life complicated and question things that do not go their way. I think that the primary allure of Plant’s book is its use of simple, everyday words to convey deep thoughts that people of all ages can relate to. But while the poems center on innocence, they portray human beings as characters with whims, guilt, and flaws. I especially liked this about the book because it depicts the life and people’s shortcomings.
With everything that has been happening around the world, Songs of Sunshine and Rain is a reminder to live each day one day at a time because the future is filled with uncertainties. I find a sense of solitude and stillness in each poem that we all badly need at a time when the world is in chaos. The recent tragedy in Beirut, Lebanon, for example, manifests how a bustling city filled with all sorts of activities can instantly be destroyed in seconds due to irresponsibility and greed—traits that are not uncommon among humans. I think that books like Songs of Sunshine and Rain play a more significant role in today’s time when tragedies like the one in Lebanon happen on a regular basis. It is something that people should read to make them reflect on their actions, think about making the world a better place, and appreciating the simple things in life.
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