A Helpful Flame | Teen Ink

A Helpful Flame

November 7, 2009
By Miss_Bliss GOLD, Waban, Massachusetts
Miss_Bliss GOLD, Waban, Massachusetts
17 articles 0 photos 31 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If we did all the things we were capable of, we would literally astound ourselves."

-Thomas Edison


I struck the match
Thought nothing of it
Held it up to the first candle.
And--
Saw something
One barely ever sees
In this day and age.
A match
Helping along its mate
Sharing a flame
Allowing it to grow
To thrive
To blossom
And not leaving
Until
The flame
Could shine
On its own wick.
And when it did leave
Wishing it luck,
Going out quietly
Without protest--
But first making sure
Nothing
Could waver
That light.
So helpful,
Stopping,
Just for a moment,
To care.
Why
Do flames
Help like that?
And why
Don't people?


The author's comments:
I wrote this last year after watching Hanukkah candles being lit one night and noticing how cool it was that, for a moment, two candles were sharing one flame. The poem just sort of sprouted from that.

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This article has 1 comment.


Monkey13 said...
on Nov. 24 2009 at 5:15 pm
Ahh! AGAIN, Celina, you blow me away! You MUST continue with your fabulous work. Fantabulistic job!