The following poem is the poetic version of the Introduction to a collection of short stories that I will finish writing...one day...
How does this explain iconic realism? Well, I was sitting in a church, watching two candles that people lit for a specific purpose, and I noticed how these candles seemed to take on the characteristics of playful humans. The candles were iconic representations of human need, sharing an inanimate form of delight in a setting that was meant to be solemn and prayerful. This activity, in turn, captured my attention, brought me immediately to my knees, and lifted my heart to furtively pray for the two people who lit those wicks hours before I arrived.
Two Candles Burning
Two candles burn
dripping wax
in a molten dance
of devotion and delight
caressing the air,
amusing, antagonizing
in mischievous coalition.
Flames pulsate
in a zephyr's wave
like birds with fluttering,
flickering wings
entwine mid-air.
Two guests, having left the pews
leave with their prayers
still swirling through the air.
Imploring with solicitude
as the reflective waxen fervor
blends with my own petitions,
I kneel and add their hopes to mine.
© Jeanne I. Lakatos
