flame point - jules supervielle

Flame Point
by Jules Supervielle (tr. Allen Mandelbaum)

All his life
He loved to read
By candlelight
And often passed
His hand across
The flame
In order to
Persuade
Himself that he
Was alive,
Was alive.

And since the day
He died,
He keeps
A burning candle
At his side,
And yet
His hands --
He hides.