Meditations Upon A Candle
Man's like a candle in a candlestick,
Made up of tallow and a little wick;
And as the candle when it is not lighted,
So is he who is in his sins benighted.
Nor can a man his soul with grace inspire,
More than can candles set themselves on fire.
Candles receive their light from what they are not;
Men grace from Him for whom at first they care not.
We manage candles when they take the fire;
God men, when he with grace doth them inspire.
And biggest candles give the better light,
As grace on biggest sinners shines most bright.
The candle shines to make another see,
A saint unto his neighbour light should be.
The blinking candle we do much despise,
Saints dim of light are high in no man's eyes.
Again, though it may seem to some a riddle,
We use to light our candles at the middle.
True light doth at the candle's end appear,
And grace the heart first reaches by the ear.
But 'tis the wick the fire doth kindle on,
As 'tis the heart that grace first works upon.
Thus both do fasten upon what's the main,
And so their life and vigour do maintain.
The tallow makes the wick yield to the fire,
And sinful flesh doth make the soul desire
That grace may kindle on it, in it burn;
So evil makes the soul from evil turn.
But candles in the wind are apt to flare,
And Christians, in a tempest, to despair.
The flame also with smoke attended is,
And in our holy lives there's much amiss.
Sometimes a thief will candle-light annoy,
And lusts do seek our graces to destroy.
What brackish is will make a candle sputter;
'Twixt sin and grace there's oft' a heavy clutter.
Sometimes the light burns dim, 'cause of the snuff,
Sometimes it is blown quite out with a puff;
But watchfulness preventeth both these evils,
Keeps candles light, and grace in spite of devils.
Nor let not snuffs nor puffs make us to doubt,
Our candles may be lighted, though puffed out.
The candle in the night doth all excel,
Nor sun, nor moon, nor stars, then shine so well.
So is the Christian in our hemisphere,
Whose light shows others how their course to steer.
When candles are put out, all's in confusion;
Where Christians are not, devils make intrusion.
Then happy are they who such candles have,
All others dwell in darkness and the grave.
But candles that do blink within the socket,
And saints, whose eyes are always in their pocket,
Are much alike; such candles make us fumble,
And at such saints good men and bad do stumble.
Good candles don't offend, except sore eyes,
Nor hurt, unless it be the silly flies.
Thus none like burning candles in the night,
Nor ought to holy living for delight.
But let us draw towards the candle's end:
The fire, you see, doth wick and tallow spend,
As grace man's life until his glass is run,
And so the candle and the man is done.
The man now lays him down upon his bed,
The wick yields up its fire, and so is dead.
The candle now extinct is, but the man
By grace mounts up to glory, there to stand.
poem by John Bunyan
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
Upon The Sight Of A Pound Of Candles Falling To The Ground
But be the candles down, and scattered too,
Some lying here, some there? What shall we do?
Hold, light the candle there that stands on high,
It you may find the other candles by.
Light that, I say, and so take up the pound
You did let fall and scatter on the ground.
Comparison.
The fallen candles do us intimate
The bulk of God's elect in their laps'd state;
Their lying scattered in the dark may be
To show, by man's lapsed state, his misery.
The candle that was taken down and lighted,
Thereby to find them fallen and benighted,
Is Jesus Christ; God, by his light, doth gather
Who he will save, and be unto a Father.
poem by John Bunyan
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
An array of candles
On that corner
There is this array of
Candles
That you see
If you only look
Carefully
There is one candle
There
Its light is about to
Stop
Its wick so short
To last for
Another minute
That candle is my
Life
And soon it will
Signify an
End
Do not ask me
I do not want an
Extension
Even for a
Second
I had enough of
This light
This little light
I had enough of this
Vast darkness
There is no time
Nicer enough
To convince me
For more of it
I had enough
Let me say it again
I had enough of
You.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Candles
The days of the future stand in front of us
Like a line of candles all alight----
Golden and warm and lively little candles.
The days that are past are left behind,
A mournful row of candles that are out;
The nearer ones are still smoking,
Candles cold, and melted, candles bent.,
I don’t want to see them; their shapes hurt me,
It hurts me to remember the light of them at first.
I look before me at my lighted candles,
I don’t want to turn around and see with horror
How quickly the dark line is lengthening,
How quickly the candles multiply that have been put out.
poem by Constantine P. Cavafy
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Field Of Mortality
The Field of Mortality
On a field, not far from here, I see millions of lit candles in long rows,
but only at night; in daylight it is a potato patch. A man, you may call
him god if you like, walks among the candles every so often he stops
and with his thumb and index finger snuffs out light; the skin on his
fingers are corned from this arduous work. Behind him new candles
spring up, sometimes he turns and go back waste some of them too.
He is heading for the part where the candles have been burned out,
only the wick flickers. He uses he thumb to bump them off; a spiral of
grey smoke in still air. He is old as time, sometimes he misses candles
that keep on burning, although they have no wick. As dawn begins,
behind the easterly mountain, the field of mortality turns into a potato
patch again, where an old man is harvesting spuds.
poem by Oskar Hansen
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Burn That Candle
(winfield scott)
Keep that candle burnin bright, mama
Ill be kind of late tonight, mama
Theres a yellow moon above me, mama
Shinin on the one I love, mama
Burn that candle
Night and day
Burn that candle
Honey light our way
Keep that doorway open wide
Until we come slowly strollin side by side
While that candles shinin high, mama
Ill be with my sugar pie, mama
Well be comin home you know and mama
Lookin for that candle glowin, mama
After we have had the wedding, mama
To that candle well be headin, mama
So before were winin and dinin, mama
Keep that candle light a-shinin, mama
song performed by by Emmylou Harris
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Of The Flie At The Candle
hat ails this fly thus desperately to enter
A combat with the candle? Will she venture
To clash at light? Away, thou silly fly;
Thus doing thou wilt burn thy wings and die.
But 'tis a folly her advice to give,
She'll kill the candle, or she will not live.
Slap, says she, at it; then she makes retreat,
So wheels about, and doth her blows repeat.
Nor doth the candle let her quite escape,
But gives some little check unto the ape:
Throws up her heels it doth, so down she falls,
Where she lies sprawling, and for succour calls.
When she recovers, up she gets again,
And at the candle comes with might and main,
But now behold, the candle takes the fly,
And holds her, till she doth by burning die.
Comparison.
This candle is an emblem of that light
Our gospel gives in this our darksome night.
The fly a lively picture is of those
That hate and do this gospel light oppose.
At last the gospel doth become their snare,
Doth them with burning hands in pieces tear.
poem by John Bunyan
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Candles In My Heart
Beholding yourself in me,
Your filaments all over,
Its dawn in my world
Light the candles in my heart,
Shed light upon thee,
Chase the darkness away
My heart is mirrored along,
Reflections and purity,
You brought a luminous
Who then shall put a spark,
Your hands are worthy beautiful,
Light up my heart beautiful one
There was a fire, they screamed
You and I know ourselves,
Light up the candles please
Love is knocking at your door,
Asking only few not more,
Complete me and make me whole
Upon when shall I be in darkness,
Angiushing in great loniless,
Stretch your arm, i need a caress
My heart want to burn with love,
Behold its a right and perfect move,
Set my heart ablaze my love
I have been waiting for long,
Until when shall you light the candles,
I need a flame my love
poem by Gaylord Munemo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Sonnet: Life’s Candle Flame
Our life is like a candle-wick aflame,
Whose glowing brightness drives darkness away,
And keeps on burning though a fierce Wind came,
To sputter, spew forth smoke, all night ‘til day.
A blowing Gale can make us burn too fast;
The wind can put the flame off premature;
Both wick and wax must synchronously last;
Our teacher best is dear Mother Nature.
How long each candle lasts? No one can tell;
How bright the flame can be? Depends on us;
Yet, some waste wick and wax to burn like hell!
God expects us to burn steady sans fuss.
A candle ought to light the world that’s dark;
Yet, burn with steadiness without a spark!
5-18-2002 by Dr John Celes
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Life, Candle, and Wine
How much is too much a pain after pain,
In a tight fist can hold again and again;
On a prowling face, how long is too long,
For someone to suffer the agony of ageing;
Like a candle lives by the lit of its wick,
Slowly burning through dangers of wind,
Its soulful light will soon become weak,
To send scents of some kind to think;
A barrel of wine is sweeter when aged
To perfection in an excellent time;
To hold and wait is worth awhile
Of knowing how much is too much;
A life could trade from candles and wines,
By arithmetic lift of arrogance,
But life like candles will short-lived,
And all the wines will be emptied.
poem by Efren Petalver Carranza
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
Moths
The leaded window opened
To move the dancing candle flame
And the first moths of summer
Suicidal came.
And a new breeze chattered
In its may-bud tenderness ---
Sending water-lillies sailing
As she turned to get undressed.
And the long night awakened
And we soared on powdered wings ---
Circling our tomorrows
In the wary month of spring.
Chasing shadows slipping
In a magic lantern slide ---
Creatures of the candle
On a night-light-ride.
Dipping and weaving --- flutter
Through the golden needles eye
In our haystack madness. butterfly-stroking
On a spring-tide high.
Lifes too long (as the lemming said)
As the candle burned and the moths were wed.
And well all burn together as the wick grows higher ---
Before the candles dead.
The leaded window opened
To move the dancing candle flame.
And the first moths of summer
Suicidal came
To join in the worship
Of the light that never dies
In a moments reflection
Of two moths spinning in her eyes.
song performed by by Jethro Tull
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Candles
i dreamt of candles
shimmering, dainty, romantic
....candles
all aglow lighting my path
melting away longingly
velvet ivory wax
licking the soft soles of my feet
...u came home to me
with diamonds and roses.
i dreamt of candles
ablaze, threating, ominous
....candles
all licking hungrily at my clothes
wanting to consume me
make me one with them
a charred cinder
.....u told me of her
with acerbic finality
i dreamt of candles
silent, suffering, perservering
....candles
all burning no longer a pretty yellow
just icy blue
plotting with precision
to set the stage on fire
....u called me repentent
i answered with laughter.
....'what goes around comes around'...
poem by Wardha Jawdat
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Candles
Faith for reasons still unknown
Like bleak house fog seems everywhere
The truth has frozen into stone
And hope lies freezing in the midnight air
Though dark our days may seem
This is a different dream
Their freedom light dont shine at all
So I will light a candle for you
Keep it burning in the night
And pray that you are all right
I will light a candle for you
Little candle burning bright
When school yard heroes disappeared
The little girl, she stands alone
Oh I believe you if you say
A prayer can help to get her home
So I will light a candle for you
Keep it burning in the night
And pray that you are all right
I will light a candle for you
Little candle burning bright
song performed by by Chris Rea
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
This Candle
there is this candle in my heart
and it is burning
like my yearning
that is empty and wanting
to be filled
like a basin wanting
to have water
from the rain
there is this void
that can not be filled
there is this mouth
that speaks about
my beloved
i like this candle
i like this fire
and see, i am burning with
desire
i like too the rain
that falls on my basin
see
i am a candle burning
with desire
swimming on the water
never dead
never quenched
never stopping
see, you are with me
never sleeping
wanting some more
see, we are dreaming
we are alive
we are these candles
burning
turning into a wildfire.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Gentleman's Tear
At the candle light
And the dark around
He is sitting there alone
There is another light
Glowing bright from his heart
So pure and bright
Just I wished if I knew
Why he was sitting there alone.
Oh, how a cute gentleman!
At the magic nihgt
Under the candle light
What he was thinking about
That good hearted gentleman!
What a Deep! Deep! thoughts
Just If It could be seen
At the dark of the night!
What was thinking about
While he was touching the candle light
O, my God what was going on
How can be this true
At the darkness night
Under the candle light
Two drops of tears slipped from those charming eyes
I saw his face
The tears were rolling down
What could be the reason to make those eyes cry?
At the darkness nihgt
Under the candle light
Just I wanted if my wish would become true
Just I wished if I could be his light.
And wipe away the gloom
poem by Sossi Khachadourian
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Father
as father begs, the son in a compromise
goes with him in that dome
where there are candles
some have already burned themselves
and some have just been lighted
by the hand of the caretaker.
there had been so many misunderstandings
unresolved anger
the son keeps the hate as the father keeps
the silence
there is no available explanation
there is simply none to mention
for the moment
the father looks behind and tells the son
i am of the past
my candle melted to the ground
there is no rekindling
the father points to him another candle
about to end its life
and he tells the son, that is yours
the father is talking about a life of the past
and the shrinking future
the son now must explain too
how hate kept him
there is no explanation
there is simply nothing to mention
the candles melt to the ground
offering a smoke as left-over of its short existence
that is the only possible explanation
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Beyond The Gray Sky
It is a gift I know
A moment of bliss that we hold
A firecracker flash of light then on
To the next plane soul remain
Come along if you dare
It's gonna be that you're scared
Lovely life I thank you
For the reason to see the pain through
Light a candle for the dead
The wick is burning returning what we have
It's who we are
We'll reach you if you're beyond the furthest star
Don't give up the fight to stay alive and even if
you have to
Find the reason of another's pain if they lose you
If not for your self then those around who care
like I do
One day you'll see the clear blue
Beyond the Gray Sky
Light a candle...
The wick...
It's who we are...
One day you'll see the clear blue
Beyond the Gray Sky
I can't believe you didn't call
What made you want to end it all
Wasn't there something I should have tried
To help you see beyond the gray sky
song performed by by 311
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
For K.R. on her Sixtieth Birthday
Blow out the candles of your cake.
They will not leave you in the dark,
Who round with grace this dusky arc
Of the grand tour which souls must take.
You who have sounded William Blake,
And the still pool, to Plato's mark,
Blow out the candles of your cake.
They will not leave you in the dark.
Yet, for your friends' benighted sake,
Detain your upward-flying spark;
Get us that wish, though like the lark
You whet your wings till dawn shall break:
Blow out the candles of your cake.
poem by Richard Wilbur
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Light Blub and the Candle
Candle: 'You think your so bright.'
Light Blub: 'I'm supposed to be that way.'
But at least I don't go out, everytime a breeze blows in.'
Candle: 'Hey I have been here longer than you.'
Light Blub: 'Edison invented me, who invented you? '
Candle: 'Don't really know for sure, but I have been around longer.'
Light Blub: 'You already said that.'
Candle: ' I get so mad, everytime someone says, they have an idea
they compare it to a light blub.'
Light Blub: 'Who else.'
Candle: ' When the power goes out, were the first things people reach
for.'
Light Blub: 'Yes, but as soon as the power comes back on, they put
you away.'
Edison: 'Listen here you two, you both serve a purpose and are
needed very much, don't you see.'
Light Blub: ' He's right, I'm sorry candle.'
Candle: 'Your forgiven, light blub, so am I.'
(4-11-07)
A Candle And A Man.
Someone lights a candle
And I see the things around.
A candle must burn like this
Nay, every candle must burn like this.
I begin to tell every one.
A candle dies as it lives for us
And we appear to live while we travel towards the end.
A candle lives and lives while it appears to be dying..
A lot we have to learn.
I begin to learn none.
It`s a candle which lives and lives throws greater questions
And I begin to be introceptive
-A mental exercise on a confined mind.
When shall I begin to live like a candle?
When shall I give out a flame that lives?
The questions begin to boomerang on me
As I sit in the candle light and see everything.
I see everything?
I miss to see a candle too.
The ghost of a candle haunts me.
poem by M.d Dinesh Nair
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!