He knelt before the idol - willingly
Head down, eyes closed - he mutters
Call it the calm before the storm
He begs for his life then strolls off to claim another's.
Flickering candle- one of many, stands homage to his faith.

The smaller candle to the left
Testifies the faith of a quite young one
With a grin on her face - she lists her wish-of-the-day
She hopes for the test, her bestie and her come first
But if push comes to shoves, she adds: "It's always me first."

The smallest of all yet the dirtiest of them all-
Burns ever so slowly-hides the prayer of a mother
Fighting battles all on her own. She fights and she loses.
Her baby cries for milk; her body craves for the kick
She hopes for a miracle - some quick money for a fix.

There was one -  the longest candle of all
I could only wonder the reason for this install.
Is it a gratitude token or a way for prayers to reach faster?
Or does the longest burning candle have its prayers fulfilled first?
Just then the wind blew;

The tallest one flickered and the rest followed through,
But all the candle lighters were on their way
Waiting for their own miracles - they went their way
Holding tightly to their faith,
Faith as small as a mustard seed.