The fire is roaring, how did it start?
A layer of woodchips, rolled-up papers, twigs and sticks,
then a match and the pile ignites.
Bluish tongues lick the wood
until a hypnotic flame,
symbol of transformation,
glimmers as it rises.

We have all been warmed by a fire we did not build.

Parents set a fire
that sends out sparks to dispel darkness,
and lights the way for the young into the world.
Parents tend the hearth,
manning the bellows when embers cool.
Children, thus warmed, will start fires of their own
and carry on the tradition so that flames can rise again!