Candlight Poem by Malory Joyce

In the night when all children were
soundly sleeping,
you left me lying awake as I watched
darkness slowly creeping.

And the visions that darkness would
plant inside my head,
all it took was for you to switch yourself on
and it would leave me be.
For light does darkness most fear
as darkness does to me.

I fumble as I am reaching for you;
the light switch on the wall,
cause I'm lost in black,
and a child can only stand so tall.

I want to scream for you,
but my voice has been paralyzed.
Afraid darkness will find me,
sitting here underneath your ignorance,
bother to look down mother,
bother to look down.

And all I have here beside me,
is a match and a candle.
So I light myself some hope,
while you remain idle.

The scent of the candle
was a small comfort but bittersweet
for candlelight is faint
and only burns bright at night for me.
As so the light does dim only leaving
a candle as a stand in.