In the quiet embrace of a lonely night,
The flame ignites a whispered sigh,
Swirling tendrils rise, ghostly and slight,
A fragile dance beneath the sky.

Each breath a promise, a fleeting escape,
Wrapped in the warmth of a transient glow,
Yet shadows linger, silently drape,
The soul in echoes, soft and slow.

The paper burns, a gentle demise,
Ashes fall like forgotten dreams,
In the haze, a hidden guise,
Of ephemeral solace, or so it seems.

Yet in the end, the silence speaks,
Of choices made and roads untaken,
As the smoke fades and the heart seeks,
A path unshackled, unbroken, unshaken.