a flame no wind could touch

I searched for light
in the spaces you left behind—
in empty chairs at dinner,
in the silence that lingered after your name.

I thought if I tried hard enough,
if I gave enough,
I could bring it back—
the warmth, the glow,
the feeling of being whole.

But the more I gave,
the smaller I became,
until I couldn’t tell
if I was searching for you,
or for the pieces of myself
I had lost along the way.

Then one night,
when the silence grew too heavy to hold,
it broke open.

And in its stillness,
I saw her—
the girl I had forgotten,
waiting through every heartbreak,
every loss.

She wasn’t asking to be saved,
only to be seen—
how she stood,
quiet and steady,
a flame no wind could touch.

The light I was chasing
was never yours to give.
It had always been here,
within her,
within me,
burning steadily through it all.

I am the light I thought I had lost—
not because I am unbroken,
but because I have learned
to hold the cracks
and still shine.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2024

Poem

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Be the first to comment on this poem. Encourage this poet.

Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace