Candlelight Vigil at Penn, photography by Jay Treat
Reflections on a Candlelight Vigil
His father called for a thousand points of light.
To anyone watching,
The world gave many times more —
More than a hundred flames in Perelman Quad alone.
But we weren't alone.
It was good not to be alone at such a time.
For three quarters of an hour
We held our flames aloft
And pooled our collective, earnest silence.
All that could be heard
Was the usual quiet drone of a city
On the eve of war
Until skateboarders grated by on the Quad
(Heedless of the light,
Hearing no silence),
Performed a few tricks, and
Rushed into the darkness ahead
Like a president.
If you're not careful,
hot wax will drop from the candle you hold
and sear your hand.
Jay C. Treat