Candles (Poem)

Candles

Candles lit and burning – 

Hardly standing still.

They quake and toss and cast their light

Upon the windowsill.

The daylight will grow brighter.

For now, the night is here.

The candles wink in sweet contrast

To the dark we’ve learned to fear.

But as we reach the morning

It’s odd, but I have seen

All through the candle’s burning,

Things to fear? – no, not one thing.

We feared the dark uncertainty.

Perhaps we feared ourselves.

We feared we could not handle

What we found on floors or shelves.

But now the morning’s coming

And I handled it quite well –

Though some bits reeked adventure

And some bits hinted hell.

I found I had a power

That was greater than the fear

And every time I turned it on

The fear would disappear.

It wasn’t from the candles,

This special light I’d found.

It glistened from inside me

Then extended all around.

Turns out we don’t need candles

Unless we like the view.

The power inside – it lights our way

Like daylight bursting through.