I set myself ablaze,
Not out of despair, but hope,
A hope that burns brighter than the night,
To light up the path to the Promised Land,
A torch in the grasp of a weary hand,
Burning bright in the darkness,
A beacon for those who seek the right path to follow,
Knowing well that the flames might consume me,
That the heat might sear my soul,
Leaving only ash and echoes in my wake.

But still, I burn, not for glory,
Not for the promise of a crown or the weight of a throne,
But for the hope that someone,
Somewhere down this winding road,
Will find their way home,
Will see the path I've lit with my own flame,
And walk it with steady, unshaken feet.

For I am destined,
To be the fire and the fuel,
The spark and the sacrifice,
A blaze of passion and purpose,
Ignited by the whispers of those who came before,
Knowing that this journey is uncertain,
That I might stumble, might fall,
Might never taste the sweet air on the other side.

Yet still, I choose to burn,
To give my light, my warmth,
To the ones who wander, lost in the night,
To the dreamers whose eyes are wide with fear,
Because even if I don't make it,
Even if I fall before the dawn,
I know it’s for a cause greater than my own,
A purpose that transcends this fleeting life.

So let the flames rise,
Let them dance and consume,
Let them twist and turn like the winds of destiny,
For in this burning,
In this act of defiance against the dark,
I find my truth, my purpose, my legacy.

Ablaze, I march forward,
Through the fire and the smoke,
Towards the Promised Land,
Whether I reach it or not,
I have lit the way,
I have shown that there is light in the deepest shadows.

For in the end,
It’s not about reaching the promise,
But about the fire we set,
The courage to blaze a trail,
To light up the dark,
Even if it consumes us,
For in the ashes, new seeds are sown,
And from the flames, new fires will grow.

TO THE MAN WHO FATHERED ME:

ADELANA JOSEPH O.