Only ashes remain
of the fire we made
I remember that first spark it burst
into a glorious inferno, glowing
so bright
it could be seen
from a passing comet
we thought
the flames would burn
until the end of time
But while we were distracted
by other things
its light dimmed, its heat dissipated
so slowly we couldnโt even tell
We forgot it needed
fuel and oxygen and
a reason to stay alive
Maybe there were
too many fires
and we thought this one at least did not
need our tending
Then came a long winter
dark and cold
we tried to return to the comfort
we remembered
but the flames had gone out
We tried to breathe life into the embers
but blowing on them
only stung our eyes with smoke
and scattered the ashes
into the wind
Notes
Inspired by “Smoke gets in your eyes” by The Platters.