Ordeal of Fire

Strike a match and light the candle,
Gaze into the cheerful flame.
Find the blue, the darker part,
And the wick’s tip brightly gleaming.

See it widening, opening, splitting,
Parting like a sea of fire
To reveal what lies between
The candle flames.

Find the hidden path of tears,
Follow down the winding way,
Pass onwards through the fire…
…beyond all measured time…

Then stand your feet
Firm upon the ground,
And commit to memory
What you have heard and seen,
Striving to retain the ken of
Passing through the flame.

© jsmorgane (June 2010)