This life that we call our own
Is neither strong nor free;
A flame in the wind of death,
It trembles ceaselessly.
And this all we can do
To use our little light
Before, in the piercing wind,
It flickers into night:
To yield the heat of the flame,
To grudge not, but to give
Whatever we have of strength,
That one more flame may live.
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There's that song " This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine." etc. It seems so much in my life has discouraged me from doing so, and to read about it in verse is, to me, very life-affirming. I love this little poem. I love the sense of the vulnerability not only of life itself but of the light in it. There are more kinds of darkness than one. Where would we all be if we didn't try to share our lights.
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Dorothea deploys a message that in the last paragraph it conveys “good morals” explaining, that if you do the right thing by your fellow human “that one more flame may live” -
Very simple poem that vividly serves as a stark reminder that life equates finite moments. Line 10, "to grudge not, but to give" woke me up. If I can remember that (in a healthy way) my time on earth must serve a reason, then I will be productive. I find that it is very easy to get bogged down with disappointments and hurts; as a result, I shut down and question why or how I have made a difference to anyone or in any way. This poem shifts perspective. It screams, "And this all we can do/To use our little light/Before, in the piercing wind,/It flickers into night" (stanza 2). I'm glad I found this poem.
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Shes so good! This is one of my favourite poems by her
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she is a wicked poet
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Did you read her poem, 'My Country'. It is very good
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Excellent symbolism in this. This is the first poem of Dorothea MacKeller's I have read and I enjoyed.
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