The Flames of Life

The glowing warmth sways along
As the flames of life dance to the unheard music of the forest.
The trees bend closer to feel the heat spread into their limbs.
The sparks fly free from the clutches of the fire
And climb up into the branches.

The heat gathers and from its depths,
The beginnings of the leaves appear.
The children that are born from the fire’s breath.
They grow and frolic in the wind,
But the limbs keep them leashed
So as not to let them flutter away.

The giggling of the rambunctious youths flourishes
Throughout the whole of the waking forest
And the children bathe in the rays of sunlight.
They caress the winds with their vibrant green hands
And eventually,
They begin to notice the mesmerizing flames below.

They see their intricate movements
And silence is given as they watch in awe.
The leaves slowly change their sickly shades
To imitate the fiery dancers.
No longer is the forest a sea of green.
It grows into an ocean of fire.
The leaves are witnesses to the blazing waltz.
They whisper the secrets of such free movements
And gradually learn the lively dance.

The frozen winds approach and the curious children
Long to grow closer with their shining, mischievous friends.
And so they fall.
They release themselves from the strong grip of the limbs
And they drift for the fleeting moment to dance.
They twist and turn, laughing all the way
And the flames join them as they romp through the air
And ride upon the winds in dizzying spirals
And it looks as if the heavens have been set ablaze.

But alas, the momentary bliss must cease
As the ground halts their joyous descent.
The leaves lose their ability to dance
And the flames begin to leave
To find new partners to continue their waltz.
They take with them the warmth the leaves had been born into.
The tired children bid their companions farewell
And as their blazing hues fade
And the chilling darkness consumes,
They can rest well knowing the flames of life
Will continue to dance and spread their warmth anew
To all the little children of the forest.