Feelings

The Burning Candle

She has many candles but usually lights up the same one over and over again. She hates the thought of the candle eventually coming to an end, just as life would, but enjoys knowing the breathtaking aroma will surround her. In the dark, this candle lights up the corner she purposely places it in. She doesn’t want to be in the center of everything but hidden away in her own little space. The burning candle brings her peace by just watching the flame slowly melt away the never-ending wax. Like touching her past, touching the pretty candle would certainly hurt. She would have to wait until the bright fire was blown away for the night. Until next time, her favorite candle is set aside to forget the aching pain.

Cheers

Cheers to the moments we’d thought would last. To our deep and close conversations whose blackness crossed the night sky which soon turned empty and cold. To our secrets and our invisible tears that hid silently under our fake smiles. To our broken hearts that we’d never turned to fix. To our burning lies which we ignored and walked away from every other time. To our fabricated dreams, which we once knew were too good to be true. To our growing distance and the time we spent ignoring each other’s presence.

— Malaak Ahmad ’25, Nursing