A Small Flame

life's rifts keep ever widening
the ground never ceases
to stop pulling and tugging
itself apart like tectonic plates
that lie deep beneath us
attempts to stitch anything
together falters
bridges break and crash
into unknown depths
as my world never stops
shaking and trembling

everyone always seem to be at war
battles are ever being fought around me
winners and losers abound
sometimes, a ceasefire is ordered
but it never lasts for long
as one keeps finding fault in the other
peacetime does not exists
in my ever-so violent world
relative peace cannot even be found
there is always a clash of strength
somewhere in my small orb

I am helpless
but I am not frightened
I can change this world
with boldness
and commitment to love
in acts of kindness
in words of comfort
in deeds of assistance
in utterance of encouragement
I can be a small flame
that will ignite others
to overwhelm the darkness

Growing Strength

ten years ago, young and naive
unsure, uncertain, I step out
stepping up, stepping down
which way I could not tell
only one thing I knew
that I could not remain inside
I had satisfied, I overwhelmed
the container could not contain
I had to make room
I had to be replaced
milk no longer sustained me
I needed tough meat
to nourish my growing strength

ten years forward
older, a bit wiser
still unsure, still very uncertain
climbing out of the hole
I stumbled into
blinded from the subtlety
of the elaborate trap
cruelly designed by mad geniuses
it was a shallow hole
but my mind was already confused
taking longer than it should be
I clamber out in growing strength