7 Candles
"Better to light a candle than curse the darkness”
A candle for the princess of the rubble,
Bomb by bomb her world ground into dust,
Curls thorn-crowned by centuries of trouble —
Dance, small flame, burn only what you must.
`
Extinguished hopes and dreams eaten by rust,
Forgotten and futile-begotten aims,
Gentle souls twisted by toxic trust —
Healing candle, cauterize the shame.
`
In halls of power roll the endless games,
Jaded players riding on their might.
Kill or cast out, darkness falls the same —
Light the tallow and hallow the fight.
`
Match to stubble, set the field alight!
`
Now, a birthday candle for yourself.
Open present, blow away the past;
Pretty baubles, make room on your shelf.
Quickly, for the wick’s not meant to last.
`
Resolve to take the votive you've been passed:
Shelter in the huddle of your hand?
Taper to the confines of your caste?
Upraise the fire, winds and rain be damned?
`
Vase of ashes scattered on white sand;
White lotus, incense, grapes, outpoured wine;
X the name from registry of land.
Your own white candle will be lit, in time.
`
Zed to alef, pass the chance to shine!
About the Creator
Sonia Heidi Unruh
I love: my husband and children; all who claim me as family or friend; the first bite of chocolate; the last blue before sunset; solving puzzles; stroking cats; finding myself by writing; losing myself in reading; the Creator who is love.
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About Writing
Most people talk about things that bother them as a way to vent their emotions, another way is through writing. As I sit writing in my car, I ponder how much writing, in itself, has helped me become the person I am today. I have endless amounts of pages filled with poems, stories, and sometimes random blurbs. Writing is a window into your soul. The simple action of writing has benefited me; by helping me to achieve a better memory, helping me to learn and grow intellectually, and helping me to communicate my emotions.
By Sarah Wilcox4 days ago in Journal
Comments (7)
X the name from registry of land.. that line really got me. Powerful prose
What a beautifully penned abecedarian poem. "burn only what you must" really resonated with me. Well done, Sonia!
A brilliant read, great submission to the Abecedarian challenge! Please check mine out if you get the chance ♥️
This makes me think of Princess Di, whose candle though extinguished continues to burn bright in the hearts of those whose lives she touched.
Beautifully crafted, Sonia! I read it out loud several times!
Very dramatically written. Well done. 
💔💔💔