Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Candles

Candles


Wikimedia Commons

Candles have the power to light up our lives.  Candles oftentimes have special meaning for people; and many people find significance in burning candles for different occasions in their lives....some happy occasions, some sad occasions. There is something very hypnotic about sitting and watching a candle flame, I think. They are often used at  baptisms of children, Hanukkah, Advent, on birthday cakes, at formal dinners at home or in restaurants, times of meditation, funerals, and so on.

 Many people place special significance on the color of candles. For example:

      White candles symbolize Purity, Truth, Spiritual Strength, Power & Innocence.

      Red candles symbolize Passion, Health, & Energy.

      Light blue candles symbolize Tranquility, Coolness, Calmness, Clarity of Thought and Perception.

     If you Google candle colors you can find more colors and what they symbolize.

 I have always liked Elton John's song "Candle in the Wind." Here is a You Tube video for those who are not familiar with it. Here Elton John sings his song at Lady Diana's funeral in 1997.


I love the words from the song:

"And it seems to me you lived your life
 Like a candle in the wind...."


Here are a few candle quotes I really like:

     Eleanor Roosevelt:  "It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."

     Georg C. Lichtenburg:  "Man loves company, even if it is only that of a small burning candle."

     Edith Wharton: "There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."

     Anne Frank:  “Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.”


The topic this week is, as you see, is CANDLES.  Watch a candle burn, and allow your mind to wander with the flame.  How do you use them?  Do they have any special meaning to you?  Write about a time when you used candles. Or write to the Elton John song "Candles in the Wind."  Or let one of the quotations inspire you.  Or.......................

I will look forward to reading what you write.  Be sure to link your poem back to Poetry Jam and also to visit the poems of others who post!  Leave a comment below as well.


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36 comments:

  1. Happy New Year, Poetry Jammers. I have posted my poem. I will be checking back periodically throughout the week to see what YOU share. If you share a poem, please visit others who 'jam' as well. I'm hoping you will be inspired.........

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    1. yep much love to the 4 out of 13 that read....

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    2. Very discouraging when it is often the same people week after week who don't either comment HERE or bother to visit other people's poems!

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  2. nice...will put mine up tomorrow...its still percolating a bit....

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    1. Great, Brian! Looking forward to it.

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    2. there is a candle in it...just not the main subject...ha...

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  3. I like this prompt Mary. Lots of places to go with candles. I may even be inspired to write a second poem after looking through my photos for candle photos. Thank you and Happy 2013 to all.

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    1. I hope you do, Peggy! The more the merrier!

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    2. I love the way you used the candle in your poem, Brian.

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  4. Just a little glimmer of a poem, Mary. In response to yours.

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  5. I was further inspired by some of the information you mentioned in your prompt and looked up about what colored candles are used to represent in various cultures. Also made me think about what flame might be and looked that up. Turns out it is a complex chemical process, really quite miraculous if you think about it. But couldn't convey much of that in the poem.

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    1. I enjoyed your further inspiration, Peggy!

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  6. Thanks for the lovely prompt, Mary! I just linked my share. Enjoy and Happy New Year, everyone! :)

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    1. Happy New Year to you too, Loredana.

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  7. I haven't been to Poetry Jam in a long time. I like the new look, though I don't know how new it is. Thanks for the great prompt Mary. I ended up writing something very different than I expected...but it's finally here. :o)

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    1. Glad to see you at Poetry Jam, Mary! I appreciated your poem a lot...made me reflect as well.

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  8. rae ann your link does not work...

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    1. Link is fixed....now works! (smiles)

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  9. happy new year, I've linked.up a poem I wrote about the christingle service I do at church each year which has the candle light at the centre. I.was going to write something about candles in the wind, but it was too emotionally linked for me to.pull together - yet.

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  10. Happy New Year. Inspired to write by your candles prompt. Thanks!

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  11. " Watch a candle burn, and allow your mind to wander with the flame. "
    That is such a lovely line, Mary. I'm sure it will inspire me later today.

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  12. great prompt, Mary ~ my favorite poem of all time is Edna St. Vincent Millay's "First Fig" which, to me, is the epitomy of a candle analogy!

    i'm sorry i haven't linked in yet~ my poem is started {i've even found the accompanying artwork and music} and will try to finish it asap.

    happy new year to everyone!

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  13. Looking forward to reading it, Dani!

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  14. An observation here is that people who just link and do not place a comment here in the comments section generally dheon't bother visiting other poets' blogs. Hmmmmm. Some do this week after week.....enjoying other poets' visits. Sigh.

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  15. while that is true for the most part mary, half the people that left comments here dont either...

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  16. i think in the end it comes down to a few things...while the leader may want to develop community, that is not necessarily the goal of those that link...their may just be to write....at least this is the argument i get most often...so then it becomes a personal choice on whether you like their writing enough to read and comment...or for how long...this gives the reader back the power to affirm the writer or not...i do know that we will never change the base person...they will do what they will do and that is a reflection of their character...for better or worse...

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  17. I hear what you are saying about people wanting just to write, and I understand that rationale. But then I don't understand why people have comments turned on. If people wish only to write, they could turn comments off or write in a private blog where no one can view their writing and they are just writing for themselves. But I do know one will never change the base person...and the question for each person, I guess, is how long one is willing to read and comment on someone who is never reciprocal. I know we all have periods in our life when we can't be as reciprocal as we like though....that I understand, as I have been through those times as well. But I do find myself wondering about those who never respond.

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  18. i feel your tension mary...and i know that as an admin you put a lot of pressure on yourself...ha...i do the same...my philosophy is as the owner of the site i wanted to make sure i commented on each one regardless if they commented back...i am learning to change that over time...as it only encourages those that link and have no desire to interact with other...

    the dangerous fallacy is waiting until someone comments on you, because then no one will comment if they all accept that mentality...so i look for patterns...if i go 2-3 weeks and dont hear from someone they obviously care little about me or the community...so i am learning to nix them...

    i would rather you not get frustrated because then it only leads to not even wanting to do the site...and you are too good for that mary....all in all i would rather have a healthy you though...smiles.

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  19. Hi Brian and Mary, I enjoy commenting and returning visits though it takes me a couple of days to make the rounds due to my long work hours and long commute to NYC. Reading and commenting enriches the experience. I learn from reading others' work and the comments I get from here are so valuable. Keep up the good work on the site! Smiles :)

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    1. Hi Loredana, you are always responsive to others' work.....and I definitely do understand about the long work hours. I always greatly enjoy the poems you share here & thank you for your loyal support!!

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  20. I personally love getting comments from people but I really am not bothered that some people do not comment. I like that I am gradually getting to feel familiar with some posters and their work so I do notice when they comment and enjoy it even more. I have to say I am not always prompt in my comments but I do try to get around to everyone by the end of the week. Some people seem to be able to send e-mail responses to comments I make on their blogs and I do like that. When I click on people's names when they comment I do not get an e-mail box. I would like to make direct responses so maybe I will see if I can set that up.
    Anyway that kind of response really encourages me to comment on people's work.

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  21. A great prompt to start the new year on! Thanks!

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  22. Dani, thanks for adding your poem! Loved it. It was worth the wait.

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  23. thank you, Mary! i'll be around to visit everyone tonight!

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After you post your poem and comment, please take the time to visit poems of other poets! People will add poems throughout the week, so check back every couple days to catch what is new.

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