Poetry

Unquenchable Flame

by Stephen Wong
02/09/21
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Behind closed doors,

Lies a dark cave,

Within this black void,

A tattered figure crumbles to his knees,

Once a mighty tower, revered among the lands,

He tried to reach for the stars,

But triumph was the downfall,

Now never again will the skies remember him,

His forehead kisses the cold dark floor, layered with dust,

He receives the mark of ashes,

Next to him lies an empty plate,

Tears have been his daily bread,

Stretching out empty hands,

He brings his offering,

A weary and broken heart,

He cries out into the silence,

While a thousand names echo back,

“In Jesus’ name, have mercy!”

Thief, liar, fraud, criminal,

“In Jesus’ name, have mercy!”

Gossiper, troublemaker, hater, murderer,

“In Jesus’ name, have mercy!”

Wretch, wicked, sinner, lost, forsaken, condemned, dead,

 “In Jesus’ name, have mercy…”

Though great was the fall,

From the ashes will rise again,

A child of God, dearly loved, treasured,

Guilty but not condemned,

Beaten but not defeated,

Crushed but not killed,

Stained but now cleansed,

Washed in the blood of the Lamb,

On the worn out table nearby lies a lone candle flame,

Huddling against the bitter cold,

Flickering in and out of existence,

Though it holds on for dear life, panting desperately for air,

It waits for the day when all will see its light,

An unquenchable flame,

And the darkness will not overcome it.