In Lieu of a Fireplace

In lieu of a fireplace, I warm my hands over the stove, feel the force of air shoving the cold backward. I find the crackling fire track on my phone and fill the silence with whispering embers. I strike a match, putting flame to wick, just to see the fire dance. It’s no alpine chateau, […]

It Gilds the Trees

It gilds the trees in tinges. It travels on the air. It wreaths the clouds in flashiness and rarifies the fair. – The branches dance in golden; bright wonders from afar- the treasure storehouse glidenwave from some ancient star. – The world’s a riot fire the sky’s a-dance with flame. The clouds are smoke puffs […]

Flames

The flames dance: cool and elemental, wrapped around their twine of radiating energy. The crackle of the pine the snap of sparks that clack like pop bottles splacking caps. – So odd to see the darting light the wall of whelming warmth so unconcerned– sporting hues of purple-blues of lava deep as sun. So full […]

Fall Fire

The sharpened breeze of coming night that blows (a bit) in frozen bite seems warmed (like life) beside the blaze of friendship, fire, and sparkling grace. So here I rest while colored leaves whirl down to die by living trees.

Winter Nocturne

Liquid light and purple bright snapping– almost silent wall of felt and unseen glow, melting thoughts to somnolescent mush. Leaden fingers weighted down; book leaves falling to the ground where they crumple as I sleep beside the flame – – – Photo by Nathan Bingle on Unsplash

The Shepherds’ Watch

The sky looms dark–and deeply dark as here beneath we sit– blots of shadow wrapped in night and only lighting when we rise and walk to see the flame. – The sheep will go where I will go and follow comically, brushing up against my leg, trusting that I know the way to lead them […]

Campfire Stories

Here the moon glows like coals high above the spiral sparks and teasing warm of ember gems buried at the bottom of the flame. – It makes us deep, contemplative or just flushed and slap-happy and sometimes gives us both at once so we sit round and, eager, tell our tales – Things that are, […]

He Restores My Soul

Like a fortress, rock strong, after long days of war, like the glow of the fire warming feet on the floor, like a hot cup of tea after cold and the rain, like the silence of night after day’s noisy strain— He refreshes my soul when at last we’re alone, and I can’t help but […]

Orange Flames and Firewood

Shadows stretch across the stone to grasp the crisscrossed spears and rounded shield. A nearby fire, fighting back the dark, and glistening on the spear tips’ hardened steel casts its glow upon a wizened man. He sits beside his grandson, gazing at the flame. The boy is playing with a map. “The Empire of Assyria,” […]

The Party

Beating hearts shining eyes opened ceilinged car. – Speed! Jacked and ripped and wid’ning speed – And noise and friends and legs and hands and hair. – Need. Frantic pulsing pushing pulling need – Raw desire for jokes and s’mores and Red. Hot. Fire. – And wood. Burning, snapping, cracking wood. Then heat, – […]