Sitting underneath a starry sky.
Surrounded by the sound of crickets and the lonely owl.
The smell of smoke and the crackling of the fire.
Your eyes locked with the dancing flames.
The fire consumes the wood in beautiful combustion.
The plant fibers grow black and fall as ash.
The smoke rises up above you.
Returning the carbon to the sky above.
The fire is hot and destructive.
Left unchecked it would consume everything.
But here in the ring it is not a consumer.
The fire is a producer of light and heat.
The allure of the fire swaying keeps you occupied.
You stare into the reds, oranges, and yellows.
It paints for you a world of beautiful destruction.
But also a world of conservation and rebirth.
Throughout the night the fire grows dimmer and dimmer.
The wood is all burned and your left with warm embers.
Eventually this too will cool and you’ll be left with cold ash.
The fire no longer consumes or produces.
It is just ash.
For you it is the end of a fun night of camping.
There is no more fire.
But for the new plants that grow from the ashes.
This is just the beginning.
Header Photo Credit to Utah University’s Health Services
https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/postings/2017/06/campfire-safety.php
Allen The Writer 