I watch a new piece of wood on my fire.

It slowly warms up to its surroundings,
and,
when ready,
bursts into flame,
adding its energy to the
cumulative heat of the community.

Brightly it burns,
eager to express,
to produce,
to participate.
It gives all that it is
in a headlong rush for engagement.

It both heats
and is heated by
the close proximity
of fellow coals and old logs.
It is most fully engaged when it is
losing its substance in conjoined conflagration with
those most closely related.

As time passes,
it slowly exhausts its fervor,
reducing in a steady decline until,
as it reaches the end of
its ability to sustain ignition,
it loses both heat
and definition
and becomes one
one with the
ash of its
forebearers.

Such is life.

(c) Copyright 2006, Greg Sanders