The Journey

A silent candle is set ablaze;
The first cry starts the hourglass,
An innocent and unknown cry.
Things new all around.
With awe in the eyes,
The hands try and feel them,
And when not felt, taste them.
And that child in its youth,
Like the candle in its silent, slow flame.

And slowly the candle reduces.
The child from boyhood to adolescence.
Thoughts various invade the mind,
A few unknown becomes a little known.
The young blood in the veins run tirelessly.
With many questions yet unanswered;
The welcome to limitless knowledge.
The fun in running around and a few pranks;
The flame shines brighter and taller.

Now a stop further leads to manhood.
The carefree, fun-loving self,
Changes to a responsible man
With more than a soul to support.
The responsibilities at home, at work,
Pile up endlessly on shoulders.
Thoughts many come along,
As many of those unanswered questions of the past
Comes with an answer in the harsh reality.
The smile shortens, yet a few more questions left unanswered;
The candle has a bit more to go,
Yet the flame is set all ablaze.

Little sand left in the hourglass.
Even little wax on the candle to melt.
The man in gray and white counts his numbered days.
Thoughts increase manifold.
How he feels the times have changed.
But he still smiles at the portrait of the woman, he once loved,
At the endless questions of grandchildren.
That's all he lives with, he lives every moment.
And the wick almost touches the ground,
Flame almost dead.

And then with a last gush of life,
The candle gives out a loud flame.
But then it dies down slowly,
Slowly, slowly, slowly
Never to be the same again.
And with the last gush of air,
The sand falls on the other side,
The flame dies out,
Eyes shut, body cold, gone for his heavenly abode...