Eternal flame burning bright for me,
A beacon of hope across life’s great sea,
A symbol of faith for wandering ways,
A guiding light for darker days.

The symbol of life that burns so quick,
That tall proud candle, with unspent wick,
My life it holds within its flame,
Either good or bad, it burns the same.

As life grows long, the candle grows short,
For a life lived carefree, or one of thought,
The candle cares not one jot,
It lives to burn, that is its lot.

Through time the candle grows so frail,
Just like myself, through time I’ll ail,
And just like I, oxygen gives it life,
To cope with all our daily strife.

Our time on earth, is fleeting, brief,
If time is tree, then I am leaf,
My faith proclaims life’s heaven sent,
But ends when my candles wick is spent.

All I ask from the life I live,
Is people appreciate all I give,
I care not for fame, nor even wealth,
Life is good if there is health.

I have the greatest gift of all,
I have my children, I love them all,
The gift I’ll leave hides in my words,
To me as melodic as the song of birds.

My candle of life continues to burn,
I have so much I've still to learn,
Until the day I give that final choke,
And my candle itself shows only smoke.

When time has passed, please don’t be sad,
Think of me with memories glad,
My candles flame, extinguished, gone,
Deep in your hearts, will still burn on.

© Cinco Espiritus Creation
2012