I wrote this poem as a reflection on my 21st birthday. It has been a very tough year for me where there were many times that I felt like I was a flame under harsh wind gusts. How do you preserve your sense of sparkle and curiosity during the toughest of times? I also wrote this in about half an hour so it is not a sophisticated introspection but rather a raw set of words strung together when feeling hopeful was the last thing I resonated with.
The candles, tall and firm
Soldiering on
Embodying the yearly tribulations Each wearing the silver linings as a glowing crown
A Deep Inhale
Head ranging side to side
Dispensing a deeper exhale
The flames go off
One by one
Until the very last one
Only flickers
The last one, the last year
Back to the memories of a tough run
Blows, Blows, Blows
Of the real kind this time
How did you stay alive?
Circumstances wanted otherwise
But just like the flicker,
You found a way
As they say, if you want to survive,
The fire inside must burn
burn brighter than the fire around
And that was indeed the only way...
