The Bonfire Beckons You
A warm poem
Embers whisper old tales
The hiss between the cracking and crackling reminds of old aches and memories between joints
As twigs snap from pressure and heat
There’s a dance between sizzle and smother
As smoke rises like a hand
Curving to cup the moon
Wisdom nestled between charred logs
Coals turned ashy from time cushion those stories
A hush settles around the flame in calm anticipation
For a tale cannot be rushed
Nor a spark hurried into survival
There’s a gentleness required in this destructive element
An understanding of give and take
Of life and death
Of care and destruction
Embers whisper of crushed essence
While flames waltz across star-filled sky
What a beauty of contradictions
What a delicate balance to maintain
~
Thank you graciously for taking the time to read my poem. I had felt the need and itch to write but I didn’t quite know what about.
To be honest, I feel quite chilly and not the greatest, and perhaps I just craved some warmth. I’m not too sure where the idea of writing about a fire came from, but it was spontaneous and helpful. It scratched that itch!
I urge you too, to think about what you might need or want right now in this moment. How can you restore your balance? What is it that you desire but haven’t had the time to entertain? What is it that you feel is missing?
And then, write the poem.
This poem was originally published on Medium under my pseudonym Poet in the Arctic.
About the Creator
Oneg In The Arctic
A storyteller and poet of arctic adventures, good food, identity, mental health, and more.
Co-founder of Queer Vocal Voices
Some other rad writers to check out:
James ❄️ TheDaniWriter ❄️ Melissa
RiverJoy ❄️ J. Delaney-Howe ❄️
Water is Life ✊
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Keep reading
More stories from Oneg In The Arctic and writers in Poets and other communities.
Trompo Temptations
Bursting flavours char Flames lick up, drip down goodness Sensual sizzle ~ This haiku was written for the Haiku Challenge released by the Vocal Social Society on Facebook. Although I haven’t done many challenges from other groups in a while, this one looked too delicious to pass up.
By Oneg In The Arctic8 months ago in Poets
Perfect Little Pirate
The rough, sodden rope bit into her fingers as she swung over the roiling water far below. Reaching out with the toe of her boot, she managed to catch hold of the rain-soaked railing of the ship- and promptly slipped. Throwing herself forward, she landed hard on the deck, slamming her elbows against the wood planks. The sharp yelp of pain quickly bubbled into a laugh, and she rolled onto her back, laughing up at the gray sky as a torrent of rain washed away the soot covering her skin.
By M. A. Mehan 7 days ago in Fiction
Comments (19)
I missed this but stumbled upon it in the perfect moment. Warmth always a winner by me. I can completely ignore people griping about how hot it is. Heat is life! "...reminds of old aches and memories between joints." I'm rolling around in this one Oneg, it's a beauty! And your commentary at the end? Priceless AND timely! Gonna do just that and take...my...time. "For a tale cannot be rushed, nor a spark hurried into survival...What a beauty of contradictions. What a delicate balance to maintain." Mega thanks Dear One!
Great choice of words. Thirsty for more!
very nice! i was cold and now i'm toasty warm...and craving marshmallows!
Congratulations on Top story, this was so vivid and descritpive.
I think it's awesome. Wonderful insight to what can warm, emotionalize, mesmerize, and harm - all at the same time.
I think this is at once a comforting and a sensual poem. Lovely.
That was a wonderful scratch to an itch! Beautifully done! 🤍 Super congrats on Top Story!
Love this. Especially since you wrote it feeling chilly and decided to write about fire, such a cozy concept! Congratulations 🎉 on top story
Congrats on the TS
Fantastic!!! and Congratulations on your Top Story
Great work and Congratulations on your Top Story🎉🎉🎉🎉
gorgeous work Oneg, so utterly elegant!
I'm so happy this scratched your itch! It was a very beautiful poem!
Fantastic!!! Brilliantly written!!!💕♥️♥️
Beautiful piece. Well done, as always.
You had me at bonfire, Oneg. And you captured my delight with watching them marvelously.
Terrific! Very tenebrous!
That opening line 👌👌👌 Cracking and crackling…. a dance between sizzle and smother… There is something I really love about these pairings of words! A beautiful poem as a whole also ❤️🕊️✨
Just beautiful. Like a hand cupping the moon. What a fabulous visual