I should have lit the candles

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life and yet never seem to really learn, it’s that you should always light the candles…

but I didn’t because
I was waiting for your call to say
come over
and when you light a candle
and blow it out too soon after
it doesn’t burn quite as well again
and I love candles burning.

So I didn’t light the candles
and you didn’t call
and the whole evening was mine
but divided between places:
an imaginary place with
imaginary you
and my place with me
but without candles.