A candle holds the day in amber light,
its small flame breathing slow and kind.
Piano notes fall gently—Mozart-soft—
meeting the steady murmur of running water,
and time loosens just enough
for the body to exhale.
The wick has done its work.
What ailed me rests, at least for now.
I extinguish the flame without regret,
letting darkness arrive as a friend.
With hope, with prayer,
I place tomorrow carefully ahead of me—
asking for blessing,
for protection,
and for a day free from added strain,
from sharp edges,
from unnecessary pain.
