It is now that I can see I am a candle. My hope is represented by the flame. It's been lit for a very specific reason, and was left to burn contently, completely unaware of its imminent demise, circling in around it. The flame dances and skips about the wick, the object of my affection. It's such a beautiful sight, such poetry in motion, the whole time, feeding its own destruction. As time passes, the flame dwindles a bit. It no longer burns with such vigor and playfulness, as it once did, however it has settled down into a slow, strong, steady burn of fire, much hotter and focused than before. As the wick and flame become one, they are woven together with such intensity that the gods themselves would be envious. It is only now, that the flame realizes the monster it has created. As it sits, holding onto the wick for dear life, it sees the pool of wax, created by its pure and innocent intentions, swelling in towards to two, with only once purpose in mind…to snuff out that which has disturbed it. As the flame searches for something to eliminate this predator, it flickers back to life, as if to make one final flare to show its silent assassin that it is no longer afraid of its outcome and it is willing to accept its fate, but not without a fight. As the flame is nearly extinguished from this last valiant effort, the wick shines red. The flame and wick have achieved a complete and wholly unified bond. At this very moment both the flame and the wick are over taken by the lake of molten wax. The flame vanishes without a trace and the wax, satisfied that its threat has been eliminated, goes back to hardening. The wick goes back to a cold, stiff, blackened representation of the beautiful white pillar it once was. The hope is completely gone…all except for the stream of smoke whispering from the tip of the wick. As the ember dies out, the smoke dissipates, as does any memory of the glory that once held this location. All that is left is a pile of mutated wax and a small curly blackened resemblance of what was, at one time…happiness.