I didn’t realize the candle
to refrain from hiding
was my own,
not some super–candle I would one day
acquire or already had that was better than
my real one.

I didn’t realize the money
to refrain from burying
was my pocket change:
all that I had in the world.

I didn’t realize the virgins
weren’t particularly chaste,
but just so young they might not trust
their own wicks.