Helena's Light

A couple of decades ago, I learned that my youngest sister had given up...she had stopped fighting my mother...she felt alone and lost in despair...and attempted several times to take her own life.  I made my way back to everything that I had escaped from to help her...help her leave.  She wasn't strong enough to leave and her mind wasn't strong enough to stay emotionally and mentally intact.  I am thankful every day that she did not succeed in removing herself from this world; but the girl I knew is quite gone...only a shell  remains.  She is my first true heartbreak.

The last time I spoke with her, I cried silently on the other end of the phone as she chatted lifelessly about what her life was like.  I could see her light had gone out....That night I didn't sleep...instead I wrote this for her....she doesn't know...she's never heard it or read it...I've never shared it publicly.  I guess this is my prayer for her...I hope that someday she knows how much I love her....for you my Helen Elizabeth...

Helena's Light: A Fairy's Tale

Long ago, in a land of gold-
Lived all fairies young and old.
In this land, there was no night-
For from each fairy shone a light.

The special light came from within-
Warm, brilliant bright-never dim.
And of these fairies, I speak of-
There was one fairy filled with love.

So, filled with love, she never saw-
Among the fairies one single flaw.
The brightest light from her soul came-
Fair Helena was her name.

With hair of gold and skin like cream-
She was a vision, to be seen.
Though great in beauty, it was her heart-
That truly set Helena apart.

There too was a fairy, name of Faye-
That watched Helena every day.
She had more light than she could need-
Yet, watched her with increasing greed.

Wanting Helena's light for herself-
To keep in a jar, upon a shelf.
Fairy Faye grew cruel and mean-
And soon her jealous light turned green.

Faye's angry heart filled with hate-
As she hid and watched in wait.
One day, Faye flew through the wood-
She found Helena doing good.

"I see what you do, you silly girl-
You think that you can save the world."
"You are so foolish," the cruel Faye cried-
"When you helped others, I know you lied."

Helena's eyes filled with tears-
Had she been bad for all these years?
Faye smiled sweetly at Helena's face-
Doubt and pain in beauty's place.

Faye's plan had worked...she would succeed-
Just one more thing to feed her greed.
Her eyebrow raised, with teeth clenched tight-
Faye snarled at Helena with all her might.

"You don't deserve that light inside-
Your heart is full of foolish pride."
Helena shook...she felt great fear-
This was too much for her to bear.

As Helena looked towards the skies-
All the light left from her eyes.
It swirled around not going far-
Then flew straight into Faye's glass jar.

"Yes, oh yes!  What a day!
I've taken all her light away!"
And with that cry, Faye took flight-
Leaving Helena in dark of night.

With the jar held in her hand-
Faye thought the light was in her command.
Before she put the jar upon the shelf-
Faye tried to force the light into herself.

It's not as if she did not try-
It would not stay...she knew not why.
And poor Helena alone and weak-
For months and months, she did not speak.

Her confidence left with her light-
She did not have the will to fight.
No more was her skin like cream-
And when she slept, she did not dream.

The other fairies saw with despair-
She'd lost the golden in her hair.
"Fair Helena," the fairies cried-
"We fear the light within you died."

Helena whispered, "Did you not see?
The fairy Faye took my light from me."
How could this happen?  This is not right-
To take another fairy's light.

As they wept, fingers at their lips-
One fairy stepped forward, hands on her hips.
"This did not happen-I don't believe-
Your light 'twas not for Faye to receive.

Helena turned without a sound-
Her lifeless eyes looked toward the ground.
"But-she took it just the same-
And left me here-I am to blame."

"Oh no-the light carried with you-inside-
Cannot in a jar, come to reside."
"It is your own, yours to keep-
It makes you dream, when you do sleep."

"If you believe, you soon will find-
It lives within your soul and mind."
After this, there was a hush-
Not even wind throughout the brush.

Helena, then, did wipe her tears-
And soon a light shone through her fears.
A light that shone so big and bright-
It swallowed up the dark of night.

It shone across the land and sky-
A fire of hope burned in her eye.
Helena stood...her lips apart-
A wondrous song filled her heart.

It was then, that she did sing-
Across the land, the notes did ring.
In the sky, the clouds did break-
And all around, the earth did shake.

The fairies danced in sheer delight-
From the beauty of this sight.
And then from very far away-
Came a frightened cry from fairy Faye.

Helena's light crashed through her door-
And knocked the jar down to the floor.
"Oh no! Oh no! How can this be?
I kept Helena's light for me!"

It was then, Faye understood-
What she had done was far from good.
She'd pushed aside her inner light-
And thought Helena's would make it right.

But, in this, poor Faye was wrong-
An inner light is like a song.
Although the music is pure and sweet-
The notes are not for you to keep.

A light was given to all mankind-
From within your heart, the light does shine.
When it's your choice a light to steal-
You truly lose what yours for real.

Helena's light was much too strong-
For Faye to keep it very long.
And, so it was for sad, sad Faye-
One cruel deed made her light fade away.