Infinitely Singular: Candles In Remembrance - Poem

 If any of my readers are familiar with the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Israel, I am sure they also are aware of the children's memorial section. This part of the museum is an underground structure entered through an archway formed by a natural rock outcropping. A descending ramp, cut from the rock, leads into an underground chamber, lying beneath the hill. Inside, an octagonal room is lit by memorial candles, which are multiplied into infinity in all directions by a series of semi-reflective glass panels and mirrors which line the walls, floors and ceiling.

One thing you must know, however, and this is something which I have not mentioned in the description above, is that this room only has... one single candle burning.

That's right. The singular candle which burns so peacefully and gracefully is reflected, and multiplied, as the paragraph previously mentioned... into infinity.

One single candle... burns... into mirrors reflecting... infinity.

I was so taken and stunned when I recently found out about this epic memorial. I had seen a picture of the candles burning, which really inspired me. However, when my teacher read out the fact that the candles we saw were actually a reflection, a multiplication, of one single candle... I realized something... special.

In recent days I've had it on my mind to write a poem symbolizing the essence of this great children's memorial. I hope you find it touching and enjoyable.

Yitzy Schweitzer

Infinitely Singular: Candles In Remembrance - Poem

Outside, so pleasant
Daytime, sky blue.
Not a cloud in sight,
A great view.

Entering down into a nearby cave,
From sunlight blue skies, to moonless night
Into a room,
With a heart-wrenching sight.

Infinite candles,
Burning all around.
For these innocent children who perished,
Their names being spoken, a chilling sound.

Candles to infinity,
Flickering in all the spaces, no centimetre is left out.
To remember these pure souls of these children,
That's what these candles are about.

And yet,
Mirrored to infinity,
In this room,
Burns,
One candle...