What if a magic Lantern,
Speaking through the flame,
Could sort out all the bother
Of who and what’s to blame?
What if it was always right
In all that it proclaimed?
.
And what if it could tell apart
The good guys from the bad,
And mete out proper consequence
So justice could be had,
Sifting every nuance
For a judgment ironclad?
.
What if it could clarify
Which enemies to fight,
When violence can be justified,
When might truly makes right,
Which orders we can follow
And still sleep well at night?
.
What if you held this Lantern
And looked deep into its glow,
Illuminating wisdom
Free of error and ego,
Offering a path to peace
If we would but follow ...
.
Would you hold the Lantern high,
To light a way through our morass?
—Or—would you douse the flame,
And shatter all the glass?
.
And do you think perhaps
This has already come to pass?
//
Note: In Greek mythology, Pythia was the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, also known as the Oracle of Delphi.
About the Creator
Sonia Heidi Unruh
I love: my husband and children; all who claim me as family or friend; the first bite of chocolate; the last blue before sunset; solving puzzles; stroking cats; finding myself by writing; losing myself in reading; the Creator who is love.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Keep reading
More stories from Sonia Heidi Unruh and writers in Poets and other communities.
The steps to losing a child
Step One: Lose a child. Not what anyone wants to happen and nothing you can do to change it, but you can go through steps to becoming happy again. You can go through steps to loving again. You can go through steps to become a new you because after losing a child you will never be the same person you once were.
By Tabitha Hinkleya day ago in Fiction
Comments (13)
Well-wrought and accolades well-deserved! The Lantern here described would be The Hermit's Lamp from the Tarot--or from the iconic cover of a Led Zeppelin album! To hold the light out over the deep dark abyss as a beacon to those who aspire.
Oh such beautiful lines of poetry. A light o shine on our troubled world. kudos on placement.
Beautiful!! I love the lovely chime of the rhymes here!
Wooohooooo congratulations on your win! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Very creative and well-penned. Congratulations on Top Story!
Amazing! Well done!
I love this concept. It’s makes me wonder, does right or wrong even exist? Is it even possible to brand what’s right and wrong, or is the world just terminally grey?
This was really good. Congratulations 🎉
Stunning
I love this piece. you had me thinking. Especially on the last part— "Perhaps" part. Hmm I'm a fool when it comes to Greek myths but this sounds like an echo of our hearts. We rarely follow but it knows whats right and wrong . Would like to know what you think in your own interpretation: The thought behind the pen.
An ingenious, postmodern improvisation upon the ancient conceit of the prophetic Pythia!
this is awesome; I've always felt that we are being led but by what? perhaps it is a lantern yet unseen.
I loved the philosophical nature of this. It's a timely poem for the times we live in. I hope that the glass has not been shattered and that it's just a bit murky, waiting for a cleanse of goodness to find it.