Orange Glow
December 14, 2022

The echoing darkness bellows through the dusk.
Yet an orange lamppost stands on,
Illuminating the old mountain surrounded street
which endlessly comes back to me.

In thoughts and dreams
I see this old dark street
lighted by the glowing orange light
of a fire like glowing hymn.

There is nothing out of the ordinary,
nothing that stands out of the building next to it.
The faint white glow comes out
from a bakery that’s been handed down.

Nothing grand nor explicit,
nothing different at all.
Yet my memories always comes back
to that moment, that night, that orange glow.

Like a hymn of a memory
That means nothing yet means all.

Why does my heart pound
so hard against my chest though?

This was a poem that I wrote last December after leaving a christmas festival on a small neighborhood area. Nearby where we were parked, there was this old building next to a lamppost that called out to me, drawing my attention like a moth is drawn to flame. It brought me memories of back home, of places that I had seen or been in. An old bakery next to where I worked at, the glow of the lamppost near my grandparent’s home, the trees that hide what in the day is so beautiful.

This melancholic yet beautiful image is something that I find difficult to capture in photo or film. Even my poem doesn’t do it much justice when it comes to capturing the true essence of a moment. Is more so the feeling that time is standing still for a second, a sense of safety, of home. Even when we’re so far away from all that we know, the world is still the same in almost every way.

As I find myself in new chapters of my life (as of the writing of this post), I have come to appreciate and take those memories of times past into my heart. In a strange way, they help me from feeling homesick, since I am reminded of the world I left and settled into this Brave New World I inhabit. A lot has changed since those days. It’s been less than one year since I left and yet I find this life unrecognizable to the one that I had before. A lot for better, though some for worse. I do find myself alone a lot of the time, yet ironically enough, I don’t feel as lonely.

As I stride through this strange land, I find myself seeing the signs of my north star, the path that has been set down for me. Fear often fills me with a looming sense of dread, but I’m so far in that it’s almost senseless to listen to it.

In truth, I wanted to write about media this week, as I always tend to do. But I felt it was better to get this all out of my chest and share it with the rest of the world. A simple, yet important message. Take the leap.

Though the memory from which I wrote will stay with me forever, something so simple and clean, you will never be able to see from the other side of the lamppost what the world can be. Sometimes cruel, cold and unforgiving, but also filled with life, opportunity and experience. I don’t know how long my stay out here will be, I don’t know if Ill ever go back home at all, except for the occasional visit. Would I like to? Perhaps. I do love my home, even with all its faults.

But right now, even with all my struggles, I am enjoying the moment that taking the leap has given in return. I walk tall, with no regrets, until I find that distant north star that in my dreams I stride towards.

Thank you for reading.

Oh! And if you enjoyed the poem, let me know! I have a ton more and a second book coming soon!