I, Am The Sun

Do you ever feel like the sun? No, not that sun. The Sun.

The sun that the entire solar system revolves around. The bright sphere in the sky that you can't look at without burning your retinas to a crisp. The giant star that people theorized would explode and absolutely vaporize all of humanity upon planet Earth.

That sun.

Not the one that you associate happiness and rainbows with. Not the one you would draw with a cute little smiley face.

No. The fiery ball made up of pure hydrogen and helium. That's The Sun.

Now, there's this poem written by Hafiz. It's about The Sun- something short but meaningful. It's a favorite of mine, and I had gotten introduced to it through choral music. It's called "The Sun Never Says." It goes like this.

Even

After

All this time

The Sun never says

To the Earth,

"You owe me."

Look

What happens

With a love like that,

It lights the

Whole

Sky.

It's beautiful in a way, isn't it? You read it, and your first thought is "Aww, this is a nice little poem." But do you ever stop to think about the meaning of it? Do you ever think about what Hafiz actually meant?

No. You don't. Not most of you. A lot just read it and then forget about the entirety of it. A few look at the surface of it. Very few actually dig deep enough to break the shell.

Now what if I told you how it was supposed to be viewed?

The top section is organized to represent the shape of a mountain. The bottom section is organized to represent The Sun. The quote floats in the middle.

Every line. Every pause. Every single thing has the tiniest significance; even if it isn't exactly clear.

The poem symbolizes the relationship between The Sun and the Earth. How the Earth flourishes because of The Sun's contributions. The Earth makes so many things because of the light and heat provided. The Earth has grown so much because of The Sun.

But the Earth never says thank you.

Just like how The Sun never says you owe me.

The Earth is creating life, nonstop, because The Sun is continuously providing help. Without one single word. The Sun says literally nothing, even if it is single handedly the one thing keeping the Earth alive. It holds up the Earth with its bare hands and doesn't break a sweat. It doesn't dare buckle under the pressure because, if it had actual feelings, it would completely combust and destroy absolutely everything.

That's how I feel. I feel like the fucking fireball that cruises across the sky everyday in silence. I feel like I'm being crushed by the pressure of the world.

So many people ask for so much. From me specifically. And I never say anything in defiance. I never have the gut to.

I'm The Fucking Sun to everybody's planet Earth.

Everybody is successful because I help them without a single thing in return. No thank yous. No returning help. Just a worsening state of anger and mental health.

Nobody asks if you're okay. Nobody ever lifts a finger to help you hold up the world. Not. A. Single. Finger.

Why?

Because you're The Sun.

Everything revolves around you.

I'm The Fucking Sun.