Sileya of Inner Light

For so long,
I searched for light outside —
in the words of teachers,
in the eyes of others,
in beautiful ideas.

But one day I saw:
The light is within.
Soft.
Warm.
Steady.
Like a small flame in my chest
that never goes out.

I no longer call — I listen.
I no longer run — I stay.

And in that silence, I hear:
I am light.
I am the beginning.
I am presence.

And I say:

Sileya.