Poem Written in Candle Light

By Claudia Ricci

I dip the candle in ink.

I dip the ink in fire.

I fire a long thin feather.

I watch the yellow flame.

It flickers.  It flies.  It webs and 
it waxes and wicks.

It says spider. 

It says spider.

It says write her 

story exactly

right

right

here

HEAR

It says 
do KNOT
stay there
terrified
holding on to
the webbing 

Inside the net.
LET HER STORY 

emerge like a glittering diamond

A gem

Let the light of it fill the room.

Let the light of it fill the sky.

Let it shine the moon,

Let it dawn.

Inside you.

Lay lines.  Lay lines.

In wax as red as

Blood flowing

Down onto the page,

Stay present stay present

No tenses needed

I pick up the candle

my fingers shaking

the flame

melting the wax in my hand.

It drips a line of red wax on my page.

It dances

red on white

congealing

exactly like this line of words

appears

Here HEAR

The gem emerges in the

soft light of the candle

I keep writing writing.

I grow frightened by the red wax.

By the power of the words

Right here WRITE HEAR

The wax

congeals.

The diamond is glowing

on the page 

Her story

More.