The speaker is longing for love, and the poem shows how painful that longing feels. They say they search "with heart and soul," so the desire is total, not casual. But the love they imagine is strange: it arrives as a shiver with "bony claws" running along a "broken spine." Already, love is tied to fear and damage, and the speaker seems hurt before anything has even happened.
Then the poem turns to a single image. A shining flame sits within reach, and the speaker's fingers actually touch its "blazing core." That closeness makes the ending sting more. They can't hold on to it, and all they get is burnt fingers. Love looks warm and beautiful, but it hurts to touch and slips away when grasped.
The mood is wistful, raw, and a little bleak. The short, plain lines make the disappointment feel quiet and honest, like someone who keeps trying anyway.