Thomas just sent me two more poems, a short one and a longer one, and I decided to put them together in one post. Both are deep, and the second one tends to be a bit dark, but with a positive message. When you google Thomas Porter, Virginia, you may find information about his trial, but a crime doesn’t always define a man, just like you cannot be defined by the worst action you took in your life. I believe that Thomas’s writing shows that every time.
I Am But A Single Candle
In the darkest of moments I am but a flicker of light
Yet light nevertheless
I can’t see much with the breath of darkness blowing their misery
but I know I must hold fast to this light
to guide me towards Freedom, Happiness, Growth, & Kindness…
History doesn’t want me to see different things
There is no use for candles anymore
because the darkness has been embraced,
but I say to you today
Candles of the world
Flicker your light
because someone will see you
and appreciate the fact that all is not hopeless
Let the darkness keep their offer of misery and ignorance
We have something special within Us!
HATE!
An intense hostility and aversion,
Deriving from fear and anger or a sense of injury…
Yet I am surrounded by it everyday
Hate!
To hate others for no other reason
outside the natural fearfulness of looking within
and acknowledging that Hate within for themselves,
Hate has become a focus
to the point I dare to say an art form for some
To give over to hate
is a sense of injury to one’s Kindness which are our roots truly,
Humanity wasn’t born to hate continuously,
I believe that in this prison culture they fight one another
even kill
over a reflective image of what they see in others
that reflect back differences,
Sayings like “I hate this dude because he thinks he is better than me”
Yet he has never talked to me
but I hate nevertheless,
I believe so many people fear what others may see within them
if they let down the hate within
by not feeding it unhealthy forms of Ego Self-Destructive behavior and doubts that they too could be loved,
I’m not naive
Racism has to be a part of so much
which is the culture of humanity
because if we let go of it
what would we have complaints about then?
Hate gets us Wars and Covid,
but hate never achieves anything worth having or building,
So I ask
Can we as Members of #TeamStayStrong! Work on our inner hates
and not feed them unhealthiness?
Love Vs Hate
Can Both Be Achieved In One Heart and Mind?
By Thomas Alexander Porter
These are deep poems that seem to come from the heart and definitely felt the way he was feeling or whoever he wrote it for. “Hate gets us war and covid”- is really spot on how the world is looking.
Cheers,
Mathew&Deloris
Thanks, Mathrew and Deloris! Yes, Thomas’s poems always come from the heart.
Wow, I can feel his emotions very much through his poem, the surrounding he is imprisoned in, and the tension I can sense in his words. It must be very tough to be surrounded by so much hate and aggression. He wants to be a light in this darkness, and it is certainly not easy when people are surrounded by hate. The fear of being attacked or even killed must be a horrible companion.
We can’t imagine such a place without the escape, maybe only in their small cell. Thomas has changed very much through his situation, and his heart wants to overcome hate and create a room for love. It must be so tough to love people who are destroyed through hate. He sees himself as a flicker of light, a single candle. I hope very much that there are other candles in this place that shine into this darkness. Great article, and very touching!
Thank you, Sylvia! Yes, as always, Thomas’s poems are very touching and make one think about the events and people he describes.
Hello Christine,
Love the message conveyed in the “I am But a Single Candle”. He is just a flicker of light surrounded by darkness, but still a light nonetheless, which means its not hopeless despite someone trying to blow it into oblivion, just darkness. That not all is lost that someone might see you for what you are right now and not the mistakes you did in the past, which you did Christine by giving them an opportunity and avenue to better themselves to freedom.
Hi Semuel,
Like a candle in the wind, keeping the flame alive despite the storm trying to extinguish it.
Thank you for your comment!
I like Thomas doesn’t give up on hopes in the first poem. Although his current situation isn’t ideal, he still tries his best to light up himself. The second poem, it’s darker because he is surrounded by other inmates full of hate, making it harder to show love instead of just hate. I hope he could find other candles in the place he lives so that they could light up the darkness.
Hi Matt,
Thomas can’t give up. The moment you give up when you’re surrounded by darkness, the darkness will swallow you up. He cannot give up and he says he won’t. That’s why he created the hashtag #teamstaystrong
Thanks for your comment!