“matches”

[poem by allie mohr ’23]

i lit the match and stared into the flame. it was beautiful and delicate and oh so tame. an innocent little light that burned and danced about. i whispered to that fire, careful not to put it out.

i let my fingers twirl around and feel the heat of the blaze. so softly it moved and flickered, putting me in a daze. i became fond of this little light and i learned to love its glow, until it burned my heart, a pain i’d come to know.

i soon felt so much anger and hate for that dreadful little kindle. i wanted nothing more for it to wither away and dwindle. i jerked the match around in alarm trying to put it out, but the more i wanted it gone, the more the pain continued to sprout. i threw the burning match to the ground and stomped it into ashes. and now i feel a shudder every time its flicker flashes. once a simple little match, untouched without a flame, became the agony of my life and for my pain i tend to blame. so up my walls go to shield me from the burns, and here i wait in hope for the day that the innocent flame returns.