"just a candle"

it was just a candle,
maybe it gave
only a little light
but those near enough to see
were cheered, and they
could see how the glow
made them beautiful

oh we all looked good
by candelight
but who saw the candle?
as it lit our night

it was just a candle,
and when that tiny flame
died, well maybe
in the big scheme
of things,
the world
did not lose
so much light

but I noticed,
and cried

it was just a candle,
and when it vanished,
it gave out without notice
or noticeable cause
- a gust - or maybe
- it just guttered.

and nobody wondered
why.

it was
just a candle.

No really. It was
just a candle.

Literally.
It's not a metaphor
for anybody, or
anything.

Nobody died.
A candle went out,
and I cried. Then
I wrote a poem about it.

Don't read into
things.