In the thick smoke,
I found a flickering light
In the thick smoke,
I found a light
That has the transience like a firefly
And the sure shape like a candle.
It is waiting for me to reach toward it,
Swimming in the smoke
It is waiting for me to hug it,
Crying in the smoke.
I feel fear.
If I touch it,
I get burned
If I touch it,
The light vanishes.
I feel fears of getting hurt and losing
So, I can't touch it.
I exist in the thick smoke,
With the light
I'm just gazing at the flickering light,
Without reaching and hugging
I feel fears of getting hurt and losing
So, I'm just gazing at the floating light.
My fingertips want to touch the light
My blood wants the light
But I'm just gazing at the light,
Standing motionless.
Yuu Ikeda is a Japanese writer who also lives in Japan. She writes poetry on her website at https://love-poem.amebaownd.com. Her poem “Sinful Silhouette” was published in an online journal <Rigorous> Volume Four, Issue 4.