Of Candles

Of Candles, by Ilsa Kasmar

There is a light inside of me,
That few people seem to see.
I shift, I morph, I flex-
I keep it protected.

It is a tiny firefly,
A flare to light my road,
But I try to keep it hidden
From hungry spiders and toads.
Setting traps and reaching out
To bring me down.

But all my protections
Can blur my reflection,
And sometimes,
I forget who I am.

So I search, I seek
Others who are meek,
And hope they see my flame,
As crucial as my name.

I see the darkness inside you,
But I can see the light too.
You may not know,
But I see more than my own.

I search for candles matching mine,
Especially a lover's shine.
Sustaining fires are hard to find
Since darkness can come from behind,
And stamp them out.

So I glow brightly to the stars,
Hoping my light reaches you,
Hoping you see past my scars,
Hoping you look for me too.

My flame is warmer than you might think…