Poems From the Heart

IF

If

I

can

still

write

I

am.

Writing and sharing poetry is one of the great joys of my life, although I have not been writing much lately. These days there is much more to do to keep things going and the time to write is elusive. In 2007 I published a book of poetry and IF was among them. The Flamekeeper And Other Poems is now out of print so from time to time I will publish some of the poems here.

Here is the leading poem-for Markie.

The Flame Keeper

It burns brightly,

the pilot light

in each of us,

and brighter still

the sparks ignited

between us

when sweet love,

family and friendship

are present,

another pilot

to guide us safely

home,

a north star

to accompany us

on the journey

so its never

completely dark.

And yet, there are

so many ways

the light grows dim

and fades away,

or is snuffed out

in an instant.

Life and spirit

precious

and sweet

yet so fragile-

a candle

in the night, burning lower,

and lower,

once oh so bright

it flickers, making

long shadows

on the wall.

There are those

who tend the flame,

who shield it with

their hands

cupped round,

or block the wind

with their own

bodies and souls,

who lovingly and carefully

keep the flames alive.

They whisper words of hope

and tell it like it is—

they dare the unthinkable,

they call,they write

they hold on so

the flame keeps burning,

no matter what.

They catch the

essence ebbing

and breath life back

into it again.

They keep the

family together

and the dear friends

from getting lost.

They may waver,

but touching heart

and soul together

they hold your hand

and walk you home.

They are the

flame keepers,

and they

are blessed.

Judith AB Lee