The Candle
By my bed, on a little round table,
The Grandmother placed a candle.
She gave me three kisses telling me they were three dreams
And tucked me in just where I loved being tucked.
Then she went out of the room and the door was shut.
I lay still, waiting for my three dreams to talk;
But they were silent.
Suddenly I remembered giving her three kisses back.
Perhaps, by mistake, I had given my three little dreams.
I sat up in bed.
The room grew big, oh, bigger far than a church.
The wardrobe, quite by itself, as big as a house.
And the jug on the washstand smiled at me:
It was not a friendly smile.
I looked at the basket-chair where my clothes lay folded:
The chair gave a creak as though it were listening for something.
Perhaps it was coming alive and going to dress in my clothes.
But the awful thing was the window:
I could not think what was outside.
No tree to be seen, I was sure,
No nice little plant or friendly pebbly path.
Why did she pull the blind down every night?
It was better to know.
I crunched my teeth and crept out of bed.
I peeped through a slit of blind.
There was nothing at all to be seen
But hundreds of friendly candles all over the sky
In remembrance of frightened children.
I went back to bed …
The three dreams started singing a little song.
These candles unattended are like a loaded gun on a dining room table. If you can't see the candle, it shouldn't be lit. |
The painful Preacher, like a candle bright, Consumes himself in giving others Light. |
If we see a candle that's lit, it will be removed. |
In my intellect, I may divide (faith and works), just as in the candle I know there is both light and heat; yet put out the candle, and both are gone |
Our lives are like a candle in the wind. |
Perhaps a candle fell over and started a fire. Whether that's intentional or not is to be determined. |
Many candles can be kindled from one candle without diminishing it. |
With no power supply, we are unable to cook under candle lights, and are forced to buy our meals from restaurants, which we cannot afford. |
I was burning the candle at both ends, working during the day, playing softball and going to school at night. I fell asleep while I was driving, and suddenly things changed. |
Reputation is only a candle, of wavering and uncertain flame, and easily blown out, but it is the light by which the world looks for and finds merit. |
Say a prayer and light a candle, that's about all you can do, |
Cheris is a candle lighter in my wedding this summer. |
Punch-coal, cut-candle, and set brand on end, is neither good house wife, nor good house-wife's friend. |
Excuse my scribbling, it is late, and I have a poor candle. |
People had candle lights on. They were talking about opening up, but were really couldn't open up without power. |
It's really my being lucky enough to bag an inch of candle that incites me to this pitch of punctual epistolary. I must measure my letter by the light. |
When Thomas Edison worked late into the night on the electric light, he had to do it by gas lamp or candle. I'm sure it made the work seem that much more urgent. |
It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness. |
I am still amazed today at how much we influenced America with lighting the candle here in Atlanta on affirmative action. |
The other day when I was walking through the woods, I saw a rabbit standing in front of a candle making shadows of people on a tree. |
How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world |
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