The Candle
A brief note on the impotence of the dark.
All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.
— St. Francis of Assisi
Inspired by St. Francis of Assisi’s words, “The Candle,” an early poem of mine, is a reminder that though we are surrounded by stories of violence and of hate, there are truer stories to be told: narratives of goodness and of hope — light in a darkening world. I have found it encouraging to be reminded that, for all the outworking of evil we see — and for the rest that we don’t see — the darkness we are against is limited, and its power falters in the presence of even a single act of goodness and beauty.
The Candle
The ancient bale bears elder name that aye for naught shall break. The olden shadow wears a hame that it shall never shake. For should all darkness round the world throng and gather nigh, One simple candle, flame unfurled, would cause the dark to fly.
