Flicker

(The cost of illumination) 

The light on my desk— 

Flickered 

It caught my eye 

Then it caught my mind 

It isn’t the light—

It is my life— 

Either by flame 

or by filament 

every light trembles 

before it fades 

The time will come 

when our lives 

will begin to flicker 

Then, it isn’t about the light 

we provide today 

but the light we have shone 

throughout our lives 

What warmth have we provided?

What paths have we lit? 

What shadows have we dispelled? 

And what remains 

when our light flickers 

and fades? 

© Ron Simpson Jr. 

April 25, 2026