Candles

Candles
They can beautiful if the right person is watching
but often times they go unnoticed, unappreciated.
Their flames are small but still people sometimes shy away.
They never get close enough to feel the warmth that the candle has to offer
but if one gets too close they will get burned like any other fire.
They can endure for longer than one would expect.
Even when their solid foundation slips into liquid they can go on.
When someone softly blows on the wick the flame can sputter back to life
and continue like nothing ever happened but
it is a fire.
Out of control it has the potential to destroy all one holds dear
but allow a candle to burn and it will eventually destroy itself.
Despite all this, they offer light to those who choose to see
and those who choose not to.
Someone once said that people should be like candles
because no matter how many other candles are lit by one
its flame never gets smaller.
But being a candle sounds lonely.
They have to keep people away at all times
whoever sticks around gets burned.
Their flame has to stay the right size
if it gets too big people get scared of what it might do.
They have to avoid bad conditions because if they try to brave them
their flames will surely go out.
Then there will be nothing left
except a small stream of smoke as if the candle is fighting to hang on.
But that, too, will eventually fade away.