The light in the dark

In the darkest of dark,
A single ember glows bright,
So much that it can light up an entire face.

In the darkest of the dark, it is appreciated.

In the brightest of light,
A single ember glows out of sight,
So little an effect that it’s not even realized.

In the brightest of light, it goes unnoticed.

The beauty of life is in its contrast,
But how many of us see the true beauty?
Soaked in this bright lights,
Do we even notice the single ember?

Before it dies out.
-The single ember.

In the darkness, a single ember can shine so bright, but in a world full of other lights, that single ember can be unnoticeable, engulfed by the other bright lights. We miss so many things that pass us by, that happen, that glowing ember, which would have meant so much to us if the world was dark, but then for many of us, our world isn’t dark, in fact its very bright, to a person in the darkness, they would feel blinded by everything we have.

Yet to us, this is nothing, it is what is considered usual, and some of us see it as terrible, as darkness, and some take their lives because of it, when a person who lived in darkness would be horrified that someone like us would not want what we have. What is this darkness? What is this light?

The light is the comforts we have, the very chair you sit in as you read this, the computer you use to read this, the music you listen to as it flows out of your speakers as you read this, the fan or the air-conditioning you have, these all brighten our world, so much so that we do not notice them much, we simply take them for what they are, they don’t make us happier, we don’t notice it much, until its gone. Take for instance, a day when the power is cut, do you feel how dark the world becomes? Literally when at night, it does get dark if there aren’t any of these, from the light, to the computer to the very joy of music we have.

Think about it, don’t you live in a world that is very bright indeed? In the past, so many of these things did not exist, and that’s where the beauty of life can be appreciated more, for instance, the glowing warmth and light from an open flame in the darkness, it was something that was greatly appreciated by the people back then. And now? Fire can be a flick of a match, lighter or stove, its something we hardly appreciate, engulfed by the bigger “lights”

In the world we live in, a single ember of light doesn’t make much of a difference to us, but then, that subtle beauty, that simplistic part of life is lost to many of us. I remember the times when I just lied there, facing a camp fire, and then turning upwards and looking up at the stars and listening to the music of the night, the insects, the wind against the leaves, and crackle of the fire.

When was the last time you stopped to appreciate such things? We’re rushing around so much that we miss these things, we are often fixated on the brighter “lights” and the embers around us don’t even move us, don’t even contribute to our satisfaction. People who live in dimmer worlds seem to be more satisfied that us, happier than us, because we are so busy chasing the bigger “lights” we missed out on the others.

The truth is, we don’t truly enjoy what we have, because we never really take in fully, we never realize its affect on us. We rarely have true contrasts in life to experience much of life’s beauty, of what we’ve got, unless we’ve lost it.

You don’t need to lose something to appreciate it, but rather perhaps you can experience life in a different way, by taking it in on a different level, to see the world in another point of view.

Try this one day, take a day away from the rush of life, you’ve got to let go of everything on your mind, switch off that phone, no due work or commitments. Head to a place where there is amazing views, where you can eat and chill, a place which you’ve never been before, walk through the place, close your eyes and listen to the sounds of the place, take it all in, then cover your ears and look at the world around you, and remember each piece of it, take it all in, and see the world in a way you don’t normally see it.

And when the time comes for lunch or dinner, take each moment to take in the smell, let it fill your mind before you eat it, and mind you, eat it slowly so that you’ll enjoy its taste more. It’s like enjoying the rain, where you can’t truly enjoy it till you take your time enjoy each sensation. You’ve got to close your eyes so you can hear the patter of the rain more, cover your ears and you’ll hear the sound of it pattering on your head, and breathe deep so you can smell the rain. At the end of the day, sit down and watch the world again, listen and see the world again, take that moment to enjoy it and remember it.

So when was the last time you appreciated that single ember? Turn of the “lights” and appreciate that ember in a way like you’ve never before.


I close my eyes so I can listen,
I cover my ears so I can see,
If but for a moment remember each part.

To savor the taste of life, of its finest wines.

Reach into the crowd,
Take in each smell,
Feel the warmth of her hand.

And watch her lead you so.

Watching her as her dress flows,
As the light catches against her face,
As her scent intoxicates.

And realize how much she truly glows.
-A day outside