Candle

 

 

I light the candle,

                   I light it with the lone lighter that remains,

          I found this one clinging to life in a drawer.

 I light the candle in the dining room,                                         and it fills with the aroma of vanilla. 

The smoke catches a ride on a light breeze,

and caresses the photos and memorabilia on the shelves    

                             above me. 

knickknacks, photos, my grandpa’s cameras,

 Below the shelves to my grandmothers paintings.

 I return my gaze to my candle and I inhale deeply,

                                   once more before I extinguish the flame.