In Finland,
a single candle in the window
is the Christmas light.
In graveyards,
candles illuminate gravestones
through the dark winter days:
a haunting reminder
of life lights extinguished,
better than buried plastic flowers
in the moonlit snow.
Light dances like a living soul
in windows and on graves.
Single points of light,
simple festivity,
Christmas celebration
far away.
.
.
Missing my Finnish host families and friends tonight, but remembering them with a candle in my window.
Shawn L. Bird 
Lovely Shawn I am so enjoying discovering the customs and practices of the northern hemisphere. Here at present we are having hot days, which is our idea of the Christmas period.
Finland this time of year has about 60 mins of dusky daylight around noon, and is otherwise starlit or moonlit. The snow cover reflects the stars and moon in the most beautiful soft, blue light. It is magical. (But not at all good for those suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder! I wanted to sleep all the time!)
Here at 50.7 degrees North latitude, we have light from 7 to 4 so it’s better, and I still would like to spend most of my time curled up in front of a wood stove! We have a lot of snow piling up the last week or so. It’s very pretty.
It does sound pretty Shawn. Does school attendance suffer at this time?
It did for me, since I kept over-sleeping my alarm, but the rest of my classmates seemed to have no trouble.
I guess it’s your everyday isn’t it. We don’t stay home because it’s hot…..though it wouldn’t be a bad idea some days when the temp is over 40C
It gets over 40C here in the summer. We tend to either stay home in air conditioned comfort, or head to the lake.
small
brief light
~
glowing tigers
in
the night
Nice!
tiger tiger
~
william blake
informal
tribute
Got it. 😉 (English teacher, remember…) lol
Here in Italy too people put candles on their loved ones tomb. I do remember the long long nights in Alaska at this time of year…no sun..just light for a few brief hours. But i loved the summer! 🙂 Nice poem!
Yes, in summer at that latitude (and Helsinki at the southern tip of Finland is the same latitude as Anchorage, Alaska) the sun is glorious. I had the worst trouble falling asleep! It’d be 6 or 7 in the morning before I could drop off, and it never grew completely dark.
I was lucky..I can sleep anywhere with or without light…my problem when I want to sleep is if I get too hot…other wise, nothing keeps me awake! 🙂 So you haven’t always lived in Finland (tell the truth, [a little embarassed] I thought you were writing from Texas, son’t know why!)…
TEXAS?! ROTF,L. Most definitely not! I live in the “Great White North” of Canada. Specifically, I live here: http://shuswaptourism.ca/discover/photos-video
I lived in Finland for a year when I was 18, as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student. 🙂 Life changing year.
Cool (literally!)! Love the Great White North! 🙂
Shawn…there is a depth of feeling in this poem that gives me shivers!
“Light dances like a living soul
in windows and on graves” — Inspired!!
Ron
http://randalane.wordpress.com
Thank you.
Greetings from Finland! I had no idea you’ve lived here. 🙂
Rakastan Suomesta! Olen usein Suomen-ikävää joulun aikaan. Ja on hauskaa puhua Suomea.
Beautiful! How simultaneously healing and damaging, a simple flame.
lol
Lovely poem that sheds its own light.
How nice. Thank you.
Hi Shawn,
I like the way you connect the memorial and holiday festive aspects of using candles. It reminds me of what I have learned over the last several years about the Latin American celebration of the Days of the Dead, a very beautiful tradition that is full of both, encompassing both the living and the dead.
Thank you for your visits and likes on the poetry on my blog.
Elaine Danforth
My pleasure. Thank you for visiting here.
Reblogged this on tot123itsme.
I’m going to second Ron’s comment. “Light dances like a living soul / in windows and on graves” –absolutely beautiful lines. Love it.
Thanks.