Leave a Light On

As I was about to leave the room,
she gently called me back
and almost in a whisper said,
“Leave a light on,
helps reduce the dinginess in the room.”
I left the room with a hearty laugh
after turning on the light,
but not before pulling her leg
and calling her a coward
for being scared of the dark.

Years later, as I sat on the porch,
her meek voice rang in my head
and it suddenly made sense,
for I was so wrong in teasing her,
oblivious to the underlying meaning
and the important life lesson
her gentle words had conveyed.

The lighthouse on the shore,
An unwavering source of hope
as it stands there in solitude
amidst the darkness that surrounds,
relentlessly guiding the lost
to their destinations in safety,
the only light that was left on
in the murky sea of black.

As your mind walks down memory lane
the one thing it frantically looks for
in an attempt to cling on and not let go,
is that happy moment
in the ocean of grief, pain and anger,
That stands out like sunshine,
burning silently yet brightly
like the light that was left on.

Be it your sliver of hope
a glimmer of joy
a slice of remembrance
or a way out of the dark,
don’t fear what the world has to say
and leave that light on;
for it doesn’t matter
how brightly or sombrely it burns
as long as the light continues to shine.