Air and water have been our motivation to bring our passions to full flame. Today, express yourself in the brilliance of your muse ignited and write a FIRE poem. Be it a spark, flicker, or full blown blaze, turn up the heat and “Burn Baby, Burn!”
MARIE ELENA’S SPARK:
DISPIRITED
Darkness descended within and without.
No glint of joy; no moon to spill soft light.
Darkness blurred the margins between night
and heart –
no need to give voice to the shadows within.
Seeing her need, he rose from his rocker,
to silently build a fire in the hearth.
Her eyes fixed on the flames, as if her only solace.
He tended the fire long into the night,
until the last log was nearly consumed.
Seeing her need, he rose from his rocker,
split it, and kept the flames alive.
~Based on my daughter’s true experience, during one of her darkest nights … with the love of a true friend.
WALT’S CONFLAGRATION:
SMOLDERING
Kisses long and sensuous have gotten us
hot under the collar and other places,
flushed faces and breathing rapid and shallow,
a slow burn and a yearning to explode.
We smolder into the night and are warmed
by the passion of love’s virulent light!
POETIC BLOOMINGS 
Responses
Burning Well
“Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash.”
Leonard Cohen
Four plus decades and still
A glance, my insides turn molten
You pass close enough and I
Imagine your breath on my neck
And touch, feeling for the scorch scar
I am sure is throbbing there
Even in the everydayness of things
You fire me alive, quicken my breath
Heat parts of me I cannot deny
And you never leave me ablaze
To burn out alone
You char me with scents of passion
Under-laid with love unfaltering
Dusky autumn’s blazing bonfires
Hints of Rumi’s champa flowers
Permit me to smoulder always
Crave your flame
Four plus decades and still
You light my life, my heart, my soul.
S.E.Ingraham©
Beautiful – only it could not have been “on ice” for too long – it would have melted it! 🙂
A very happy, lucky lady wrote this poem!
Beautiful, Sharon…. I have learned that this is the only kind of Love to pursue.
Oh, yes!!! Sharon!! The burning inspiration of poetry…quenchable all-consuming fire! So well done!
Ilove the quote and I also love this “everydayness.” That is an awesome word!!
Warm-Smiles to you!
Sharon, I’m not sure who is burning faster here, you or Walt. This was a truly marvelous and sensual poem. You’ve captured the passionate side of relationship in a way that most would crave to share with another.
This is lovely. Thanks you for sharing with us.
Sharon, this is such a difficult subject, and you wrote with such “ease” about it, every word fell in its place. A truly beautiful poem about love and passion.
Wow, this passionate poem takes my breath away. Fantatic imagery!
Wonderful work, Sharon. Passionate and heartfelt.
You’ve written passion with skill. Very nice.
Sharon, those coals often glow from long ago…well said.
Lovely !
Thank you all for your kind words – I sometimes forget just how blessed I am to have this man in my life … he is the never-ending love-line in my palm, and in my heart …
Still waxing poetic I see…
“You char me scents of passion” – Oh, what an incredible line and feeling this is.
A wonderfully written tribute to love.
Sultry…nay HOT! ..and I love the quote at the top.
Walt and Marie…you have sparked the passion today!
Meant to say BEFORE I posted that it was the warmth of your poems, Walt and Marie Elena, that reminded I had this one on ice … great kick-off to another lovely prompt …
Marie There is a special tenderness in your poem that shares a lot and speaks to the heart.
Walt – yours is just….smoldering!
Love the photo too.
(TANKA )
Seed of love planted,
Sprouts and streadly grows when
Carefully tended,
And watered with gentle hand
‘Til the heart ignites in flames.
I Love: “Carefully tended, And watered with gentle hand…”
You captured my heart with your opening line…holds a significant meaning to me! Beautiful tanka, Marjory!
It’s amazing how you can use “water” as a stimulus for “fire” here Marjory, but you pulled it off beautifully. Great job.
Fabulous description of the growth and intensity of love
Love the idea of water as a catalyst to a flaming heart, Marjory!
Sharon’s poem has surely sparked off some buirning passion! A lovely tanka.
That’s right. Love definitely needs to be tended to.
SORRY NOT TO have gotten back yo respond.
My co’d in my no’d won’t go’d and my brain’s not working too well. Hope to read everyones else’s poems before they all burn up.
I really appreciate each of your comments – Thank You Bunches.
Marjory, this is such a warm and comforting tanka! I love it.
🙂
KINDLING
Kindling – a friendly word
for the start of warmth.
Splinters, shavings, chips of oak,
chopped sticks and kinked twigs
then serious timber a handspan thick.
The catalyst, a fizz of sulphur,
prelude to our atavistic pleasure in
spits, sparks, flames,
and quietly glowing cinders.
Oh, I love this, Viv!
Mmm…I can feel the penetrable heat from this growing flame, Viv…I LOVE a wood-fire!! Well done!!
This is such an honest but lyric look at how to build a fire. Marvelous, Viv. I loved it’s honesty but also the sense of wonder the poet felt that this is all it takes to create this seemingly miraculous life-saver.
Very well done.
I love how you so lyrically describe both the simplicity of and our facination with fire.
“atavistic pleasure” – lovely phrase and a lovely poem viv …
I confess. I had to look up atavistic. I now have a new word to add to my vocabulary. Thanks VivinFrance!
I love the wording in this poem, Viv. Very good writing.
Viv, you pictured or fascination so well…spits, sparks, flames, and cinders.
Hi Viv,
Nice savory dish you have here.
Very clever. I like this one a lot.
I love those first four lines — really nice alliteration.
Viv, suddenly you have me craving the scent of wood-smoke on crisp autumn evenings! Beautiful.
Hummm – I like this. Before I read the comments -( and still do) I see it as a metaphor of relationships.
Meg, profoundly touching; Walt, untouchable 🙂 ! Have a lovely Sunday all!
I’m in agreement with Hen here you two!! Both of you have out-done yourselves…beautifully!!
Sunday Smiles to you!! 🙂
Walt and Marie, you have touched heaven with your words.
A SUMMER LUNE
when cardinals swoop
down from trees
what we see is red
a flash of fire
bright to eyes
taking in summer
a swoop that shakes leaves
on branches
like ghosts of old winds
#
Gorgeous!
Oh, yes!! This is a sweet flick of fire, Sal!!!
Laurie and Walt will eat this up (and all the other special cardinal-lovers, too)!!
I was thinking the same thing. They’ll love it…and I do, too. So beautifully written.
I have to agree with Hannah and Henrietta on this one, Sal. You have another winner on your hands with this one. Love it; so lyrical and smooth.
“like ghosts of old winds” – I love this imagery Sal … especially against the vibrancy of the cardinals redness … a lovely write …
Salvatore, love the ‘ghosts of old winds’ as well…great imagery for an unseen thing.
Lovely poem, and that last line will stay with me.
Well done. It’s pleasant imagery to see.
Wonderful poem, Sal.
Sal, I agree with them. Stunning.
Picturesque.
(No particular form today)
ONLY IN MY DREAMS?
And so….. I imagine~~
Where those eyes will
see me,
Where that voice
will gently carry me.
Yes…that gentle leading voice…so comforting, Hen. Happy Sunday to you and the littles! 🙂
Aww, Hannah, thank you… my precious, little bundles are sleeping peacefully – a great joy to observe such serenity… Happy, lovely Sunday to you and yours also, my friend. :)!!! L, Hen
Oh, I love it when they’re sleeping!!! Such joy in these peaceful times!! Ha ha…my two boys are ripping around me currently!! Thank you, Hen ❤
Aaahahaha! We had a day like that yesterday, Hannah! 🙂 ! 🙂 ! 🙂 ! Last night, I noticed how quiet and lovely their shoes sat neatly next to one another and I smiled to myself at how those same shoes had earlier carried them around to tumbling joy and mischief! Love it!!!
Oh, Hen!!! That is awesome!! This is a poem in itself!!! So beautiful! 🙂
🙂 !!!
When I read your disclaimer, Hen, I was sure it was your title, and I thought, “That’s a perfect title.” Perhaps you could use it as such another time.
The poem flowed like chocolate for me, Hen. Sweet and soothing to the throat. Good job.
Oh, thank you, Clauds, I will tuck that away and let it simmer…
And, yummy chocolate on a Sunday morning… oooh, I can’t think of a greater compliment at this moment 🙂 !
Oh, you’re welcome, Henrietta. There’s never really a bad time for chocolate, is there?
! :D!!
Hen, your ‘no particular form’ should be a form….too lovely!
Aww, thank you Janet!
I say – that is a jolly good foorm.
OK – FORM!!! Maybe foorm in a booming form???
Hee, hee, thank you MMT, you bring smiles to me in this early morning quiet. 🙂 !
[…] Poetic Bloomings-Fire Rate this:Please feel free to circulate.TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. […]
~PRESERVED~
Burning-crackle
has gathered me,
my attention fully.
Twist and blister,
fire conspires
in whispers.
Burst of flame,
I flinch and
fear to see
fully your face.
Heeding your voice
I remove my shoes
for this is sacred,
for this is holy ground.
This heat should sting
but not a limb is singed,
this blaze should burn
yet this bush
is not consumed.
Empowered I’ll flee,
and strengthened
I’ll free your society;
boldly I’ll say
I AM has sent me.
©Hannah Gosselin 6/17/12
Hannah, I began writing this, but didn’t get very far. Now I’m glad I switched gears … yours is spot on, beautifully penned, and honors I AM mightily!
meg
Marie!!!! Thank you! I thought of you as I began this…I knew that you would appreciate it. I do hope I brought it enough though. Always with this kind of writing I feel I must treat with utmost respect.
Warm smiles and ❤ to you and gratitude for confirmation that I honored it properly!!!
❤ !
Wonderful use of metaphor, something I am very bad at!
Thank you, Viv!!! I don’t think you’re bad at it! I’m learning still…always learning! :)’s
Ah, Hannah. You have dealt a mighty blow for I AM today. This is magnificent and you left off at the end of the perfect line. When inspired, there is no way to not do it right for it is done as it was meant to be.
Would that I could pen such a one as this.
Oh! I so felt the magnificence too!!!
Wow, Clauds, your encouraging words mean more than you know!! Thank you so deeply!
You’re more than welcome, my friend Hannah. You always produce such wonderful spiritual verse. It’s always a pleasure to read it.
I think this would get my attention, too. Just as Moses. Lovely write.
I’m so grateful for your comment jLynne!!
Wow, Hen….Loved this, and love this moment you’ve related so simply, from “inside” of Moses…the awe of solitude, the thrill of savoring, the humility of surrender are all there. This is special to me.
I meant HANNAH, not HENRIETTA…sorry.
Oh, thank you!! That happens to me too, sometimes…especially with the names with the same beginning letter! Thank you so much for the kind comment!! 🙂
Ooooooooo………..
poetical burns here…
Well put and simply Hannah!
🙂
Thank you, So much, Benjamin!!
Hannah…powerfully stunning! Awesomely Inspired:)
Janet!! Thank you so much!!
Wonderful, Hannah.
I appreciate that, Misky!!
Beautifully written of a long remembered story.
Thank you, Marjory!!
WONDERFUL start, poets!!
meg
I have a really great photo that goes with mine:
http://cloudfactor5.wordpress.com/2012/06/06/one-single-impression-elemental-2/
Randy, I left a comment onsite, but wanted to say again how wonderful your morning’s effort was. Thank you for sharing.
Your Welcome Claudsy, and Thank You for your comments !!
Loved the passion of the words as well as the photo- great depiction!
Thank You Henrietta
Randy, the picture and the poem were…sizzling;)
Thank You Janet
Good morning! So many poems already! Poets are up early on Sundays 🙂 I’m going to ‘cheat’ – this is a wordle from some time ago:
~ Time ~
The time was flexible, would blend, and stretch, and pore
Like burning streams before they turn to steel.
The time is hardened now, and out of breath no more,
It clinks and clanks, and has a metal feel.
It finds its energy in purposeful exchange:
One forceful smile for one dramatic look.
A bag of tricks to mask the obvious change
Is dangling from an old and rusty hook.
The time is pushing on, gets richer every day
With sweet-sour lies and glances met in shame,
Beneath the wilted flowers and letters tucked away
It keeps a spark in memory of the flame.
Oh, good one, Happy, whether you “cheated” or not, it fits very well. Thoroughly enjoyed the imagery in this one.
I wish to read this again and again, I Love the mystery of time… !
And all of the episodes that happen in each of our lives in the course of one, single day…
Thank you, Claudsy, Hen!
Happy,
such a great image of times that streamed before, now cooled and solid and long ago…loved this description of that time:
“It clinks and clanks, and has a metal feel.”
Thank you, Sky 🙂
Where would we be without those sparks?
Sasha, thank-you for the re-run or I would have missed this beaut! You had me with the first line…and a lump in my throat at the end. This one has an entirely different heat to it but MAN, is it there!
Very nicely done.
Marie, Walt, just read your poems. Yours moved me so, Marie. So much truth and compassion in it.
And your poem is just sizzling, Walt! 🙂 Love it.
Have to agree wholeheartedly with you on this, Happy. Marie, I’m so glad that your daughter has this wonderful friend who understands and can do without instruction what she most needs at the time.
And Walt, you’re becoming a master of the sensual poem. Love them all.
RELEASE
I watch the flickering candle
Through eyes that burn with tears.
I wish that I could get a handle
On all my stress and fears.
The day has burned into my soul;
A tight, barbed wire noose.
But the dancing flame makes me whole,
And turns my spirit loose.
Our lives are busy, strained and stressed.
Techniques we must employ
By finding how we can be blessed
With simple moments of joy.
Oh, Linda. You so captured what a tiny flame can do for us; a flame that can keep us from freezing to death in mind or body. Excellent job with this. I can relate so well to this.
I so agree with claudsy here Linda; you have, with your words, shown how the simplest things can relieve a hard time and bless one with joy … nicely done
Loved: “By finding how we can be blessed With simple moments of joy.” Moment by moment…. a lovely life can unfold… 🙂
I like how you showed that a fire can be a beacon of healing while is is both the days and our eyes that burn.
Linda, this just speaks so clearly to the fascination a flame holds for us. I’ve stood so many times propped upon a yardbroom at dusk gazing into a flaming pile of swept-up leaves. You can just get lost in the ease. Loved this.
You are so right. There is something so fascinating and hypnotizing about fire.
Wonderfully spelled out truth.
Aphrodite
Please don’t look at me
like that – we’re in this meeting
until five o’clock
and the air conditioning
doesn’t seem to be working.
Please don’t look at me
over your glasses, like you’re
a librarian
and I am late with a book.
Please don’t look at me
while you run your tongue around
the rim of your glass.
Please don’t look at me
like Aphrodite in heels.
Please don’t look at me.
Please.
Oh my … cold wet finger touching hot surface … ssssssttttt. Yowza.
Ooh, my computer screen is kind of steamy . . . !
Andrew….ssssssszzzzzzttt! Off goes the tie!
Andrew, Very hot!
Profound! I so love this…
The day has burned into my soul;
A tight, barbed wire noose.
Andrew…the above comment was for Linda…your poem…yowee, I need a tall glass of COLD something!
Hummm – no more need be said.
Hee, hee, this brought smiles, thank you!
YOU ARE
The star of the wood,
the light in each eye,
the midsummer whisper
of thank you.
You are … simplicity itself and have written a gem. Just lovely Andrea.
I’m so partial to little gems such as this, Andrea. “The midsummer whisper of thank you” … ahhhhh, lovely …
Marie Elena
Beautiful glimmer. Thanks Andrea.
Andrea, simply GORGEOUS!!!
BarbedBU
You know how it is
when you try to type,
and you spell a word
so incredibly bad
that your spell check
has no idea
what you’re trying to say
and your words
become flaming red.
I know how it was
when a father flipped
his children aside
and just walked away.
We all stood around
shaking our heads
like too much pepper,
on charred pieces of meat.
But that was all
he served us,
and we are hungry
still.
So powerful, Patricia. I am stunned.
Linda’s right! Powerful! The ending leaves us hungry with you.
Patricia, makes my heart hurt this day. No one knows till they’ve been there…so well said. Penetrating.
Patricia, this is a gem. I could feel my stomach flip reading it.
Wow, Patricia. Just Wow.
Thank you, all. It is difficult sharing painful experiences. I am always conscious of my family member’s reactions, so I haven’t posted this yet on my personal blog, Expressive Domain, where many of them might read it. I doubt they would stop in here. I am the third child of eight children. Four girls, then four boys. Our father left when I was a sophomore in high school, but of course, the boys were younger. He left to marry a different woman and fathered three other children. I have seen my half brothers and sister less than you can count on one hand, and my father only a few times more. These meetings have always been painful, uncomfortable encounters. Worse yet, I am saddened that my daughter has never known her grandfather.
Patricia,
I’m eternal and profoundly thankful that I can’t relate to this loss of a father. Your poem and its ending are gut wrenching. It is so well written and speaks so strongly that these few words, in my opinion, say far more than could a novel on the same topic. Incredibly well done.
Hugs to you, my friend.
Marie
This took me completely by surprise Patricia and was all the more powerful because of it … even more poignant given the day.
[…] for The Mag photo prompt and the Poetic Bloomings ‘burn’ prompt. Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like […]
The Retreat
Memories come strong,
burned into the ground,
as much a part of this place
as the permanent fire pit.
Skirting the mud
and puddles of spring
rains, stretching my stride
to match his steps
in the soft ground.
Summer weekends
on the water,
nights around campfires
with hot dogs
and marshmallows.
Autumn clean ups,
piles of leaves and
burning underbrush.
Winter solitude,
others avoiding the
chill winds coming
off the lake. Burning
dead wood collected
off the land, bundled
against the early nights.
Smoke swirls lazily
from the fire,
capturing every season
before and promises
of those to come.
So well put. I hadn’t thought about all of the memories fire has for me until I read your wonderful poem. Nailed it!
Mark, definitely raises moments from the glows of memory.
I swear that I can smell smoke!
Beautiful warmth in memories like this!…and yes, I think I smell it too:)
Wonderful memories to have and to share – and prompt memories in others. Thanks.
LIMERICK
I have a big, bad summer co’d,
It has done settled in my no’d,
I can’t t’ink straight
Hope you relate
‘cause all thoughts of passion out the window go’d.
Hahaha. So true M. And I can TOTALLY relate!
Yesss, yessss—-aaaahhaahh choo! Been threre, dun thaaaat! Sphhhhttt! Exkoose me.
“Putting out the Fire”
Dark water
upon a crystal sea,
his love and his song entices me.
White water
rushing through mountain stream,
the sound of his voice makes my heart sing.
My lover,
A balm for thirsty soul;
He quenches the depth of my yearning.
He’s water
He is a waterfall;
He quenches the depth of my yearning.
Lovely Jacqueline, lovely honor to the antidote for that burning.
Beautiful, Jacqueline.
Oh, that we may all know this!
A compelling flow to this.
[…] Prompt: Sunday Wordle and Poetic Bloomings. […]
“Waiting”
I had a spare stamp
to mail the final draft
– my short string of words,
formal and friendly
with no trace of emotion.
I caulked the crack
and secured the latch;
– tried to quiet the racket
in my chest.
Still, the refrain refused
to be tempered.
The real words were waiting
for lightening to strike.
😀 I empathise completely.
OH, Yes,
Those words pounding in our minds
what we need pull out and write on paper
– then that paper with a match ignite.
A Stockade of Lies
(Celtic Quatrain)
Eschew the truth, frightening
how you scrutinize others
minor faults, lightening
your own guilt, how it smothers
feral flames spreading.
A tempest through life’s blazes
you think your future dreading
puzzle pieces lost, mazes
through which you run blockading
eternal wisdom, accrue
lies upon lies stockading
distrust with truth you eschew.
Love the picture of ‘feral flames spreading / A temptest through life’s blazes’ – what destruction deceit will cause. Not all passions are benevolent.
I’ll be back later to finish reading all the lovely blooms. Mine are here:
http://2voices1song.com/2012/06/17/poetry-on-fire/
Flames
F lames
L eaping, threatening, engulfing
A ngrily attacking
M onstrously moving nearer
E ating houses whole
S preading in the wind
Oh…recalls those desperate images we see too often on the news. A vicious hungry violence for sure.
You have captured the state of the world, Connie.
Here’s something a little lighter (and, yay, I did 2 weeks in a row!):
Air tastes of fire,
charred burgers over hot coals-
takeout time again!
Elizabeth…been there too often. Sometimes expensive ribeyes! Boo hoo, McDonald’s is no cure for THAT sadness.
…. 😉
Mastering the Flame
By: Meena Rose
”Start with breath for fire breathes;
Take control or it will control you.
Once birthed, it will grow;
Bend its will or it will consume you.”
Master Jang’s words echoed
Against the walls;
I understood not what he said
For I painted with fire.
This time a rose upon a vine,
I focused and willed it;
Upon my palm, a flame
In bloom was born.
http://2voices1song.com/2012/06/17/fires-of-desire-and-a-flame-in-bloom/
Desert Heat
By: Meena Rose
She tosses, she turns and stirs;
Sensations of wetness and clinginess
Greet her. She sighs.
Finally roused, she sheds
Her clingy sleepwear;
Soiled with night time sweat.
Her body, now liberated,
Rejoices and trembles at
Breezy touches of night.
Stilling herself,
no longer alone;
A cool finger traces
A line on her back;
A tsunami of passion
Unleashed.
Desperate with need and desire,
She leans her body back.
But there is no one.
Her desert angel of night,
Gone without a trace;
Brazen in her nakedness
She awaits the return,
Settling for the light
Ministrations of the breeze.
http://2voices1song.com/2012/06/17/fires-of-desire-and-a-flame-in-bloom/
Ahh Meena…both are lovely. The Desert Heat is so descriptive of the gradual awareness, the waking. Lovely.
Thank you so much!
To a Phoenix
Each flight to life
is rife with promise,
your feathers fraught
with fiery color—
orange, gold, red,
a splash of blue
dousing the flames
you kindle within.
What sin did you
commit, sweet bird,
to rise repeatedly
from ashes still warm
from your last life,
your resurrection
lost on this world
of arrows poised,
your lonely gift
your life?
You were not meant
to stay, only
to pave the way
for other souls’
passions, your
lessons tucked
beneath your wings—
that love sings
amid a storm of hate,
that life burns
itself away despite
our flight, that
flame offers heat
and light in darkest
night.
Love the picture of this classic character…prodding his view of his destiny. Loved it, Jane .
Beautiful, Jane.
This is a loose Vietnamese Luc Bat poem form.
(Can you tell I’ve been reading ancient English lit?)
“Winter fire”
This was home of my bones.
These venerated tomes of ash—
parched kindlings, mocked and lashed
by hands that knew one slash would shoal
my literary soul.
My prized abode of scrolls lies seared
to the marrow, revered
poetic volumes speared by fire.
Should pardon be required
when reckoning inspires me more?
Loved this JLynn…how many scrolls lie in us unread? Consumed by fires we cannot seem to control?
Flame licks
whatever fuels
and sustains it.
Passion flicks
my tender neck,
your skin on mine,
and I see no need
to douse
a friendly fire.
Sweet, Jane!
Sexy!
Once again I search for a poem – entered around 3, or 4:00? I might enter it again, it’s been saved!
Cells on Fire
Her mind is afire,
they said, a burning blazing
quest for learning, voracious
reading–variety of books, papers,
magazines–consuming all
with a passion for knowledge.
It is a good thing, they said.
Her mind lights matches now,
sparks short circuit thoughts,
confusing language, one word
for another. At times, flames
shoot up fueling delusions
delayed for a while by medicine.
Just when temperature returns
to normal, embers glow, leaving
her mind amidst the ashes.
Ahh! Purple, such a swoop from one end to the other! Loved this, flickering confusion so vividly pictured.
Thanks so much for getting it.
This reminds me of a whole different type of “kindling” Sara … a very insightful poem …
Thanks, Sharon.
Commented at your blog, Sara. Amazing write! Amy
Thanks, Amy
YESSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Way to go Walt and MEG !
Burn baby burn!
I can feel the heat!
Marie, Walt…loved your sparks above, they sweated out some great verse! Mine coming soon…
Linda’s stare into the flame above recalled this poem for me, so I had to share it, especially since…it’s Father’s Day.
Can’t let the chance pass to be a little transparent, as I have learned to be, and try to teach others to be as well.
This was written long ago (12 yrs?), after the divorce, my daughters far away, young adult ladies trying to find some meaning or reason for the firestorm that came and went and left our family broken.
All now is well. We have let the past burn away, and the air is clear. They have forgiven us both, by the grace of God.
———————–
Cold White Smoke
I sweep just cold white smoke today,
the leaves too wet to burn in orange rage
while long late sunset shadows splay
across the yard to tell the day its age.
Now or then up from the leafy heap,
amid the smouldering fire of hidden fears,
from silent ashes, glimmers from my heart will leap
and cast a glow on my falling streams of tears.
I stare at embers glowing red.
I know that you are somewhere in the world
I hope not hurt, not wanting–oh, not dead–
I pray God’s hands are tight around you curled.
When we meet face to cautious face,
What words will you, will I, say?
What will pass between us?
A civil trace
of courtesy,
a proper hug,
a briefly rehearsed play?
I want to burn it all, today,
the fallen debris of winter’s windy war.
When we finally meet,
again
at some open door,
There should be no cold white smoke in our way.
A daughter and her dad should freely breathe
and freely see
and freely say
what they may.
An accurate portrayal, I think, of the heartache and confusion surrounding that difficult period in a life … well penned and thoughtful
KINDLED
Kindle the fire within me
Again, once more
With a lasting
Six figure kiss
Lingering delightfulness
With nothing amiss
Yes, life is for this
Hushed moment of bliss
As your lips stacked
Upon mine
Sweetly abiding
Dynamically
In electric harmony
Sensational savor of unity
Dancing smartly
A dapper jig
Yes, so happily
Do set your eyes
Upon me once more
And set me ablaze
With the flame that
You possess
Yes, You possess
There, in your eye
I see it
The flame burns
Quickly, for me
And for me alone
Your love
Is readily apparent
Don’t turn away
But fully embrace
The wildfire
Intrinsically
Within
Don’t resist
But accept the flame
And just let go
Let it
Engulf your
Inner being
Yes, let your ray
Spread like sunset
Come, shatter my darkness
Enlighten this poor hollow
Soul of mine
Fill, saturate, and enliven me
With your brightness
Your rays are well received
Helplessly, with all gladness
The penetration of your light
Is welcomed
Entering my heart
Through every cavern
Hunting every hidden part
Dispersing sadness
Dissipation of self
Into refracted beauty
An Abundance of reflection
An ardent image for all to see
Within me infixed
Imprinted brilliantly
From eye to eye
To eye to eye
This secret wavelength
We share
To some, it’s
Invisible, or unattainable
But with you
It’s reality transfixed
Completely and gladly
Substantiated
Rightly
Let us go up in smoke
Together
Incinerated
Obliterated
Ascended embers
Forever members
One of another
With a spark
Seen in the night
Descended
At a distance
Ashes
A pleasant
Memory
Settled
Well
Rested
Blessed
Dust
To
Dust
Remembered
Whoops…
Just remembered a boo-boo mistake I made when I was flossing. Changed sunset with the following (Apologies for the repost).
KINDLED
Kindle the fire within me
Again, once more
With a lasting
Six figure kiss
Lingering delightfulness
With nothing amiss
Yes, life is for this
Hushed moment of bliss
As your lips stacked
Upon mine
Sweetly abiding
Dynamically
In electric harmony
Sensational savor of unity
Dancing smartly
A dapper jig
Yes, so happily
Do set your eyes
Upon me once more
And set me ablaze
With the flame that
You possess
Yes, You possess
There, in your eye
I see it
The flame burns
Quickly, for me
And for me alone
Your love
Is readily apparent
Don’t turn away
But fully embrace
The wildfire
Intrinsically
Within
Don’t resist
But accept the flame
And just let go
Let it
Engulf your
Inner being
Yes, let your ray
Spread rampant like daybreak
A soft sprinting sunrise
Come, shatter my darkness
Enlighten this poor hollow
Soul of mine
Fill, saturate, enliven me
With your brightness
Your rays are well received
Helplessly, with all gladness
The penetration of your light
Is greatly welcomed
Entering my heart
Traversing every cavern
Hunting every hidden part
Dispersing dark miseries
Of the lonely shadow
And dissipation of self
Evanescent
Into refracted beauty
An Abundance of reflection
An ardent image for all to see
Within me infixed
Imprinted brilliantly
From eye to eye
To eye to eye
This secret wavelength
We share
To some, it’s
Invisible, or unattainable
But with you
It’s reality transfixed
Completely and gladly
Substantiated
Rightly
Let us go up in smoke
Together
Incinerated
Obliterated
Ascended embers
Forever members
One of another
With a spark
Seen in the night
Descended
At a distance
Ashes
A pleasant
Memory
Settled
Well
Rested
Blessed
Dust
To
Dust
Remembered
Six-figure kiss! WOW! 😀
Marie Elena
“It was a pleasure to burn”
Destruction is always easier than creation
as creation requires desire
and sweat
and love (sometimes tears)
always diligence
always work.
Destruction
only requires desire.
Oh, and obviously, the title is from Ray Bradbury.
Neat…loved Bradbury. Desire is rooted in burning.
Burned
Unloved, uncertain she stands
watching from the edge,
hesitant to join in.
A spark of interest, keeps her transfixed
as the laughter and camaraderie
heightens her desire to engage
in what she knows isn’t right.
“Everybody is doing it”, they
entice with plastic smiles and
outstretched hands. “Don’t you
like us?” Eager for acceptance,
their shallow words of friendship
bring her closer
to the flickering flames.
She should feel warmer
as she moves toward them, but
she somehow feels colder inside.
Desperate for acceptance
she takes misguided steps
toward the fire
that will soon consume her.
© KED 2012
Kelly, this is the song of every teen who wanted so badly to be popular, they would risk sex, “pharming parties,” and jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. Excellent food for thought. Amy
A panic rises in my heart for this girl…you evoked a parent’s emotions with this verse. Good work Kelly.
[…] Bloomings this week asked us to explore ‘burning passion’ .. and so I have. Probably not from the angle most people would, but I never do anything the normal […]
Into Ashes
itching anger licks at tender scars
ravaged body
savaged soul
flesh made raw by inferno’s hunger
weeping tears of mourning
lost hopes dance out of reach
stolen dreams
wishes robbed
desires annihilated as searing heat
consumes passion
ruins delight
extinguishes life
Fire fought with fire….loved this view of the prompt, Tania.
Passionate poem, Tania.
Excellent write, Tania! Hope to hear more from you here at Poetic Bloomings!
Marie Elena
Fire O’Clock
The desert’s not really on fire,
it just feels like it,
July paying a visit in June and all.
Then there’s that smoke
coming from Chino Canyon
reminding us it’s a long, long way till fall.
Habits are changing already,
probably due to that warm May,
biorhythms shifting to a lower gear,
awake at three, up at four,
two cups of coffee by five,
it’s the pattern this time of year.
The stores open earlier now,
allowing errands
to be run before ten.
Chores get done quickly,
exercise done before dawn,
hikes over by seven.
The air kicks in at random,
pretty much twenty four-seven now,
it’s a truly critical tool.
Life’s all shades and fans
and ice cubed drinks,
with an occasional dip in the pool.
This is perfect, Daniel…as I listen to a blowdryer “breeze” shake this too-hot morning. (And yes, I’ve already exercised, and had numerous cups of coffee.) Love “July paying a visit in June and all.”
thanks, De, I know you understand that summer is the price that desert rats pay for the rest of the year
Daniel,
a clear portrayal of the ravage of an early summer. So full of real responses. I agree with Whimsy…that line’s my favorite too.
feel free to steal it…or a variation of it
Love this one, Daniel.
it always makes me happy when you’re happy….i know about Portland weather as welll – what we need is an averaging
Are you here also?
no, but i live in two places where Ducks and Beavers escape when they have to, like my friend who said that there was snow in Bend just a short while ago
Very hot here in Canada too…and at our house we do not have AC so we just…sweat! We really are a month ahead…
Lighting the Flame
Small flame that I have brought to life
In the midst of this howling storm
How eagerly your small tongue leaps
Upward as I carry you from room to room.
We travel together accompanied by another
Circle of light reflecting on the walls, once
Familiar, now shadowed and menacing.
You continue to share your brightness,
Your small light in the great darkness
of this frightening time of lost power and
violent storm. When night arrived, we groped
uselessly through the growing shadows–
Until you offered your tender flick of light.
Marian, vivid picture of that moment we’ve all been unnerved in.
Embers Burning
No matter what the day brings;
deadlines,
phonecalls,
pick-ups,
drop-offs
laundry,
dishes,
cleaning,
cooking.
One look,
as you walk in the door
and the sparks rekindle
our flame!
© KED 2012
Kelly, I checked your link and couldn’t find this marvelous poem there… this is wonderful stuff, especially with the song “Just One Look” buzzing in the background of my mind! Peace, Amy
Love days like that, when the embers burn, and only a breath of circumstance is needed to make them glow. Liked this Kelly, well written.
A ‘hot’ poem!
Oh, how this makes me smile, Cuz!!!
Love you guys so much!!
Marie
[…] for Poetic Bloomings. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInTwitterLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. This entry was […]
Dragon
He breathes fire
and slays her silent song
embered syllables
scalded tears
consumed by crimson dawn.
Smoldered shy sun blaze
once bitten
burned twice,
he breathes fire
and turns her cindered heart
to ice.
.
Okay Whimsy…this made me shiver! Funny how fire can do that from the right person / creature…
and LOVE that phrase, ’embered syllables’…thanks.
ooh! ‘Once bitten, burned twice”
BURNING PASSION
(a shadorma)
tiny flame
fanned into new life
by the storms
that nearly
caused it to be extinguished,
a new fire now burns
2012-06-18
P. Wanken
Paula, very interesting take, as “the storms” take on another form in the milieu of romance. Good stuff! Amy
Paula, liked this too…esp ‘new fire now burns.’
[…] by Poetic Bloomings Prompt #60: Burning Passion. Echo this:FacebookEmailTwitterStumbleUponPinterestLike this:LikeBe the first to […]
Dichotomies
I love our dichotomies
Your dark bristled face
against my fair cheek
Tender lips
crashing together in a violent kiss
Your hardness
against my soft
And when our bodies part
sizzling droplets of sweat
become cool puddles on our skin
tiny swells
under the turning fan blades.
This was in a bedroom in Puerto Rico, I believe! Ooooh, gorgeously sweet with a hint of decadence. Loved it, Lola. Amy
Fire + Water = Steam. Loved this, well done Lola.
Mmmmm… Tasty little morsel. Thanks!
[…] Poetic Bloomings, a poem about fire, burning passion… and all that follows. Also at my poetic bonfire, Poets […]
See it in its natural habitat at my blog, Sharp Little Pencil:
Remember Passion
Passion – all-consuming,
glorious blaze of every
sense alive and alight,
every synapse snapping,
a fire for
the belly
the brain
the heart
the hearth that hums beneath
her sheath and his jeans
Passion burns benevolently
for a time, somewhat contained
(but if the team mascot loves the
place-kicker, they head for a
fireproof locker, kissing in shadows
of the homecoming bonfire)
The fire can consume lovers.
The burn doesn’t always hurt.
Passion will wane, but
the reflection will remain
in the rearview mirror of their minds,
glowing on lonely nights,
a long-gone ember of…
Remember?
© 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Time travel…wow, with truly ‘every synapse snapping.’ Loved it Amy.
Amy, that last stanza is incredible. Such truths contained.
Passing the Torch
The familiar smell of smoke
Wafts from my daughter’s bedroom.
I find her cross-legged on the bed,
Teddy bear at her side,
Red hair almost hiding
The concentration on her bowed head,
Eleven year old fingers
Furiously scorching words across paper,
Firmly in the grasp of inspiration’s fire.
I’m torn, part of me wishing
To tenderly stoke those new embers,
Another part wanting
To extinguish that flame,
Knowing the difficult
And sometimes frustrating path
That lies ahead of her.
Instead I silently close her door.
This fire is not for me to control.
indeed it is not for you to control…what a high degree of enlightenment you have achieved
I love the image you’ve created in this poem, Mary! What a precious gift the speaker gets to witness.
What a delight to find a daughter writing… let the flame rise.
love this…its a great kind of fire!
Arsonist
his words
were firebombs
to my kind-
ling heart,
his aggression
gasoline thrown
into an inferno,
reducing me
to ashes,
burned
to near nothingness…
scarred…
disfigured…
but still surviving.
Mary, the desperation is thoroughly portrayed here…but with that hope after the hurt.
Hi Mary!
Love it! From title to finish.
Gather
There is something about the crackle and pop
that gives re- birth to story and song and imaginary worlds
that get to trespass in the world of the realistic.
There is something about the friendly sting
of your long-exposed face meeting the goose bumps
on the shadowed back of your neck.
There is something about a bonfire
with its mystery-revealing light illuminating shadows
while masking the beck-and-call world.
K, felt the moment…especially the feel of the ‘long-exposed face meeting the goose bumps on the shadowed back of your neck.’
THAT’s a real feeling…loved how you presented it.
KDixon,
A warm welcome to you, and hope you will share your wonderful words more often here at Poetic Bloomings!
Marie Elena
My Colombian Lover
I cannot resist you
As I embrace your burning touch
Craving your brawny essence
Darling, there is none like you
Weak imitations make me laugh
As I inhale your richness
Knowing your bliss
Will not disappoint me
My lips seek your fullness
Slowly, purposefully
I draw you in and hold
Your perfection on my tongue
Before your robust passion
Satisfies me
Completely
oh, by the way, his name is Maxwell House Coffee:)
LOL! Que Bueno!
😉
[…] wrote it for Poetic Bloomings #60. Fire […]
LIFE
This burn, a blushing spark
that sears our minds with darkened light.
Charred we burn, embers bright.
We coax, we crave twilight’s embrace,
night’s touch and tender grace.
To light, awake we race to strife.
This burn that we call life,
carving hearts with love’s knife, we live.
Poetic Form: A Luc Bat Poem
Of Barred Shutter and Storms … A Sonnet
Pale whispers sweep the dark to hidden shores,
Staid expectation murmurs on its lips,
but we have drawn the shutters, locked the doors,
Time will not dictate our fingertips,
for I must make a study of your eyes,
tracing the future of unfettered bliss
While yearning resonates in muted sighs,
I hunger for the flavor of your kiss.
Too long the regimental tick of clocks
has orchestrated the release of locks
Longing shatters the dam of rigidness;
The beauty of familiarity
enriches passion’s unrestrained caress,
Outside the day assumes normality…
…here oceans swell in unrequited fire
of flesh and blood; white horses of the sea
spawn unbridled indulgence and desire
We crown the pinnacle of ecstasy
while merchants, bound by meagerness of dust
redeem their petty dollars for its lust
Pale whispers escalate, intensify,
A quickened urgency ignites the calm
in raging rivers crashing from the sky
as heaven spills its timbre on earth’s palm.
Outside the servant treads toil’s beaten path
and dreams of recompense with glist’ning brow,
while here, we revel in the aftermath
of foaming tides receding from earth’s prow
The sky resumes a sleek, unwav’ring blue
We kiss away its salty residue
are you sure you’re not 400 years old? too good
🙂 Thank-you
This is an extraordinary piece of work, Janet.
Abbreviated Version…His Passion!
Passion; it clothed I AM in flesh
To walk a skull-strewn path
While we drove nails through holy limbs
He prayed on our behalf
Passion; it bled from guiltless wounds
It poured in agony
To save mankind from death and hell
He died to set us free
***
Full Version… His Passion
Passion; it formed the universe
Dividing Day and Night
It clothed the earth in miracles
And filled the dark with light
It placed in Eden’s garden
A woman and a man
And in the passion of their greed
Man’s greatest need began
Passion; it burns in mortal loins
In searing, selfish lust
It feeds the greed of sinful seed
And taints the wanton dust
Ten thousand-thousand altars built
Ten thousand-thousand flames
Could not redeem our wretched guilt
Or wash away our shame
Passion; it burned in Holy Wrath
And filled God’s heart with grief
To see the nations of the earth
Blinded in unbelief
It tore through Heaven’s glory
A fire born of Love
Compelling Him to leave the throne
His Passion’s depth to prove
Passion; it clothed I AM in flesh
To walk a skull-strewn path
While we drove nails through holy limbs
He prayed on our behalf
Passion; it bled from guiltless wounds
It poured in agony
To save mankind from death and hell
He died to set us free
Oh can we ever comprehend
A Passion such as this
That He should cover our sin
In Holy Righteousness?
Passion; it fills the law of grace
Extending Time’s last plea
Passion; it saves the human race
From hell’s eternity
Be still my heart…
Marie
A Luc Bat as forest fires rage in NC and Colorado.
Forest Fire
A wall of flames eats through
the underbrush, into tall trees,
leaps up old pines, like these
are hell’s bright torches seizing night
by its scruff, worlds alight.
Fueled by flash of lightning, drought,
and winds, it will burn out
when every ash of doubt lies cold.
[…] Mystical Teacher More Sensational Haiku Wednesday: “Postcard” More Poetic Bloomings: “Burning Passion” More Straight Out of the Camera Sunday More Ruby Tuesday 2 More REDnesday […]
My senryu about burning passion is called “In the Dancers’ Eyes”
Only time for a quick stop to post something before bed. Frustrating evening, but… the fireflies are out tonight, so here’s what I’ve got:
Frustration flames,
conflagrant conflict
burns a hole in my belly
I step outside
into pitch blackness
Seeking escape
Fireflies flicker
on ebony canvas
sparking flights of fancy
A SPARK
I never seem too small
When with you, I feel tall and can
Mountains scale, oceans span,
Explore uncharted land, and brave
Fast rivers, a dark cave,
Gathering memories to save, then seek
To score new, deep music
Of love that I can keep within
A gold and satin bin,
Or dented rusty tin, and know
Wherever place I go,
Treasures held will bestow on me
Reminders that you’ll be
Always a part of me, a spark.
A Gorgeous write, Marjory. WOW! I LOVE this…actually as I want to highlight my favorite line I realize this…its all ‘favorite’:)
fire
elemental
like fear
a once burned
kind (of)
like love
a brightness
in the hostile
darkness
the reflective eyes
of wild creatures
drawn in
hesitant
in the cold
reaching
for something
warm
amazed
their tough flesh and bone
can become so tender
awed
that we don’t yet
know
what sustains it,
how to start and
grow it,
how to keep it
under
control
UNEVENSTEVEN!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOOO!! So good to see you here! Hoping we get to enjoy your amazing voice on a regular basis!
Marie Elena
Fire and Forethought
He came to me in a dream,
pushing back the darkness,
a coal flickering in a fennel-stalk.
The fennel-scent surrounded me,
like entering a house where food
has simmered the whole day.
Suddenly, the flame was mine,
and I was roasting vegetables,
basting them with olive oil.
Those scents surrounded me,
as he stepped forward, touching
my hands and then my forehead.
Then the fire was within me,
and I found myself at a desk,
writing poems based on myths.
Before he could turn away,
I touched my forehead and
opened my palms to him.
I bowed in gratitude
for his gifts, the many flames,
and he nodded in reply.
As he walked from my dream,
the darkness tried to return,
but I held it back with my fire.
fire
elemental
like a fear
in your belly
a once burned
kind of
love
brightness
in
darkness
a shining
eyes
wild creature
desire
reaching
for something
more
until
soft, licking
kiss
and we stare
amazed
this tough old flesh
and bones
could ever be made
so tender,
awed
we don’t yet know
what sustains it,
what keeps it
under
control
On Fire
Cheeks ablaze,
She runs away
To hide but never quench
The torch she carries
So closely it burns.
[…] title is a mite different from yesterday’s, eh? Wednesday’s prompt at Poetic Bloomings was to write a poem about fire, but the wording of the prompt, which you can check out at the above […]
[…] at Poetic Bloomings we are burning. Visit to read what our hosts say and to read their poems in response to the prompt. […]
My dear inspired poets!!! I’m sorry. I apologize for not getting back here to respond properly and get some more reading and commenting in. It is one of the many things that make this Garden special is the connected-ness!
I’ll smooth it over with all the silky sand from our shoes and beach bag and leave the excuse that the boys and I have been at the beach all week!
I hope to do better next week you guys!
Warm summer smiles to you all! 🙂
Lovely, Hannah, just Lovely… There are so many sweet stories to unfold when it comes to observing children living life… !!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 !
You’re so right, Hen!! My five year old was deeply interested in finding crabs beneath the seaweed and the baby was deeply sleeping in his stroller…SO nice…I actually got to swim for the first time in a couple of years! Smiles to you and I hope your littles are keeping you inspired, too!! 🙂
Normally I don’t learn post on blogs, however I would
like to say that this write-up very compelled me to take a look at and do so!
Your writing taste has been amazed me. Thanks, quite
great article.