Katerina, the candle allows celebration and disenfranchised grief to occupy the same flame without asking either one to disappear. Birthdays, laughter, certificates, flowers, gunshot echoes, and the ordinary things missed first gather around an image that can warm, burn, guide, and remember. Your return to poetry after so many years gives the form itself a place in the remembrance, carrying what a linear account might struggle to hold. Grateful for the courage and imaginative care with which you let love remain present inside a grief that never received a clean ending.
Katerina, that sense of comfort feels deeply connected to the candle itself. Sitting beside grief without forcing it into a cleaner name allows love to remain present as witness, warmth, and memory. The poem makes room for pain that resists explanation while refusing to let suffering have the final word. Grateful for the way you let love accompany the grief without asking it to solve what remains unfinished.
I love this poem Kat, brilliant! And, exactly what I needed today apart from a catch up with you, which perhaps we will manage to do soon! Thank you xxxx
Oh my beautiful friend, I have missed you so much!! (OMG I am crying!)
I am so happy this has found you at the right time. Lots of love and hugs to you I am really looking forward to our catch up when you are ready to see other humans. I am just a text away and I will drive to wherever I need to be. I am very patient!
Katerina, the candle allows celebration and disenfranchised grief to occupy the same flame without asking either one to disappear. Birthdays, laughter, certificates, flowers, gunshot echoes, and the ordinary things missed first gather around an image that can warm, burn, guide, and remember. Your return to poetry after so many years gives the form itself a place in the remembrance, carrying what a linear account might struggle to hold. Grateful for the courage and imaginative care with which you let love remain present inside a grief that never received a clean ending.
Thank you for such a thoughtful reflection on my poem. I really do believe that love always remains among all the pain and suffering.
Perhaps knowing that there is this comfort in sitting in the grief that I can't name.
Katerina, that sense of comfort feels deeply connected to the candle itself. Sitting beside grief without forcing it into a cleaner name allows love to remain present as witness, warmth, and memory. The poem makes room for pain that resists explanation while refusing to let suffering have the final word. Grateful for the way you let love accompany the grief without asking it to solve what remains unfinished.
Beautiful poem 🕯️ what a wonderful journey in life it is to circle back to our younger selves 🫶🏼
Thank you so much Lauren, coming from you this means a lot....still learning .... your poetry is brilliant.
I appreciate that, but I don’t see it at all. I’m learning myself. I plan to go back to writing privately offline soon.
I love this. It’s beautiful Kat. I used to write poems as a teenager too, but then I completely put that interest aside.
Thank you so much Sara for reading, just trying something different. Maybe poetry is a teenager thing.... or lyrics to songs
Thank you for reading 🙏🏼
I love this poem Kat, brilliant! And, exactly what I needed today apart from a catch up with you, which perhaps we will manage to do soon! Thank you xxxx
Oh my beautiful friend, I have missed you so much!! (OMG I am crying!)
I am so happy this has found you at the right time. Lots of love and hugs to you I am really looking forward to our catch up when you are ready to see other humans. I am just a text away and I will drive to wherever I need to be. I am very patient!
♥️ it. I caught the multi meaning of the title as the poem progressed. Kudos 🌹
❤️
Thank you for reading :-)
Oh Kathy, that really means a lot to me as a newbie at this, I wondered if it would be noticed, thank you so much!
Trust your writer instincts. Poem was awesome 🥰
Thank you... You are right, I need to 'trust the writer instinct' thank you, it's always lovely to receive encouragement to continue.