Erev Shabbos Poem

Parable

By Dan Bellm

I lit the candles of the Sabbath and covered my eyes,
terrified in the mind as I was and waiting for rest,
And the evening passed. And as they reached their end
the one became turbulent, sputtering, loud,
the left one on the table, the one facing my heart,

the heart of it burning out impurely and rough,
a red with tarry shadows, spitting death at me,
the other placid as prayer, clear light and patient
in the copper hourglass bowl, steadfast as the soul
of the one I love, soothing me, being also alive,

and this one I knew would last and burn long tonight,
the other flail down like madness and hard living
of every sort, the darkness that is touched and felt.
And I sighed for the love, and sighed the poor candle out.
Then I could rest having yielded half the light.