From Eddie Askew
Lord my mind can’t cope/
It’s hard to see a pattern in the dark.
Harder still to see an underlying purpose,
when suffering throws its shadow,
and hope’s eclipsed.
Christian cliches bring no comfort.
The candle flame of faith
gives little light.
And yet, Lord, still it burns,
the candle flame.
Live and persistent.
It may not seem a lot,
no floodlight glare,
no firework flash of coloured light,
but, somehow,
nothing seems to put it out.
Not quite.
It dems, dark edged with doubt,
struggles, then suddenly,
the very wind that threatened its existence
fans it to life.
The flame burns brighter,
and its glow sets light to other candles
I’d not thought were there.