Terracotta Oil Lamp

Terracotta oil lamp, nearly two millennia balanced in the palm of my hand An archaic flashlight for some Mesopotamian householder Hands over centuries transferring it from one owner to the next And to think that in its newest state, a sleepy flame from its spout Cast a glow upon a bed, a table, a wife’s face, a scroll or a book Illuminating the momentary life that burns faster than oil.