Festival Of Light Poem by Leonard Dabydeen

I keep staring
at the flickering light
in the tiny clay bowl
...as if in a trance
at the brilliance it portrays
feeling the heat of the night
cloistered in intransigent darkness
light making shadows dance
without sound of music
iridescence of hope
in a world
unwittingly engaged
in wars
and unrest
and nature's own
remorseless storms
I clasp my hands
and bow in prayer
seeking blessings
of this festive aura
light of hope and joy
over darkness within.