Unblinking
a light that watches
standby light, standby bright
the last light I see at night
a stark reminder, if you will
of the impermanence of life
human frailty and fragility
that you stand mocking over
for as long as you have power
you will stay alive, shining
as we give in to our basal needs
to rest, to renew and to heal
you seem to never give out
unless of course we unplug you
another synthetic mockery told
a simple plug gives you life
as we wither and fade and die
you and your kin—
shine on in the lonely dark
that red ominous dot of life
sits in the corner, day and night
staring at us—
watching us fade
gradually,
as youthful vigour
gives way
to stiffening limbs
weakened and feeble bones
you still glow a quiet hum—
<>
the last eternal lantern
unblinking, unflinching
as our hearts give way
to the quiet power
of ceasing to exist
as our minds give way
to the gentle embrace
of impermanence
you will glow
until we pass.
*
Thanks for reading!
About the Creator
Paul Stewart
Award-Winning Writer, Poet, Scottish-Italian, Subversive.
The Accidental Poet - Poetry Collection out now!
Streams and Scratches in My Mind coming soon!
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FPS: The Last Flame Challenge Winners
Welcome to our first Winners Announcement of the year and to the final challenge in the Fall Poetry Series. The Last Flame invited writers to sit with endings, using fire as a central image to consider what remains when something burns out: ash, warmth, memory, silence, or the faint promise of what comes next. The strongest pieces treated endings as gradual rather than sudden, allowing them to flicker, dim, and linger.
By Vocal Curation Team4 days ago in Resources
Comments (28)
and another lap to say congrats on third place in last weeks leaderboard!!
Amazing work.
This was so beautiful, hopeful, and inspiring Papa Paul!! That first line felt like that poem "star light, star bright, first star I see tonight" kind of vibe. Belated congrats on Top Story!!
Such a beautiful response to the prompt, Paul. Congratulations on your top story and leadership board placement! 😊
Wooohooooo congratulations on your Leaderboard placement! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
congrats on your leaderboard placement!!
So well done, Paul!!
What will be left when we're gone 🧐
A lovely poem, full of feeling and meaning, thankyou for sharing and well deserved Top Story xx
What an amazing poem and response to the prompt. So creative and unique.
My new favourite! Such a creative way to see light and the passing of time. C’est magnifique!
Ah, yes. What a metaphor for all the things we've built that will outlive us all. Let's hope our creative endeavors will do the same. Great job, sir, and congratulations on Top Story!
Nicely done, Paul. You are clocking up a few Top stories now - well done, and about time.
The use of a standby light as metaphor is both simple and genius. It turns something ordinary into a reflection on consciousness, aging, and our uneasy relationship with modern permanence.
Just back to say congrats on the Top Story!
And congrats on Top Story!
Very creative perception of the lantern and the analogy of its light.
I feel like you took my current life-situation feelings of helplessness and dependency and the fragility of my situation, and used a metaphor to make me understand it. I thank you for this one Paul.
What a poem to the light of power so to speak. Good job.
Wow this was amazing. The synthetic mockery, shinning light on our frailty and fragility. We are here for a time untile we are unplugged. We just don't know who and what will unplug us... 💀 Stiffening limps. That tied a bow on the frightening reality. The red light keeps coming back to me even though I've passed that line. You will glow until we pass. That concludes just how fleeting life is. Love how you played with both light and life. An ominous poem, outstanding work, Paul 🤗 ❤️ 🖤 👌🏾 👏🏾
This is hauntingly beautiful. The way you've turned something as mundane as a standby light into a meditation on mortality is really creative.
Love this take on the challenge!
Whelp, this makes me question all the time that I’ve been spending on my phone and computer…😅 Excellent work, Paul!
I love this! The way you turn something as mundane as a standby light into a symbol of both persistence and futility is brilliant.
Me after reading this: *enters existential crisis mode*