Tag: fire

Winter Fire Oblivion (microfiction)

I was embraced by the warmth of the winter fire. The heat was intense and comforting, and I was wrapped in a blanket of warmth. The fire consumed me, but I felt safe and secure in its embrace. I could feel the heat radiating off the flames as they licked at my skin. I was part of the fire, and it was a part of me. The winter fire was a solace, and I thought I could stay there forever.

The flames symbolized strength and resilience, and I was empowered by its presence. The winter fire consumed me, and I was alive and connected with the world. No amount of scalding skin and brutal screams could take away this feeling of fiery bliss. Death by fire, death by comfort, a heated oblivion.

The Gates of Hell (graphic art)

Photo originally taken in Philadelphia in 2021.

Originally, this was a photo of the door to an abandoned house in my Philly neighborhood (I shared the photo here). When I distorted the photo with effects on Canva, it ended up looking like the gates of hell. I like how the yellowish-orange color makes it look like flames. Working on this one reminded me of a horror movie Rachel and I watched recently called As Above, So Below (which I highly recommend checking out). During the movie, there’s a reference to Dante’s Inferno and the inscription at the gate of hell: “abandon all hope ye who enter here.”

Rejoice! (a poem)

come join this feast!

bring broken souls,

rejoice before a table of treats

we’ll set a fire above stones

dance around it

with wild guilt

watch us twist & turn –

shaman beat their chests

children laugh with glee

night falls, the fire rises

the feast at its last course

time for the children to hide

as we carry on

(Photo by Joshua Newton on Unsplash)

Note: This is a collaborative poem I did with Rachel. I wrote a couple lines and then she wrote a couple lines. We plan to do more and share them – it was fun!

Orange Sky (a poem)

Desert sands of deception

flames of futility

growing in the wilderness

under an orange sky

baking us at record temps –

Our Planet is dying

screaming, crying

and she’s angry.

(Photo from Insider.com)

Note: This poem was a meditation on the wildfires happening in California right now. I haven’t read much about them, but I do know that much of it is being caused by the increasing damage of man-made climate change.

Rock Bottom (a poem)

Alcoholics like to talk about rock bottom –

the moment they recognized the bottle is filled with lies

the moment when they open their eyes

+ know they don’t have to drink anymore

I hit bottom in a rehab far from home after unkind words

from a social worker who told me

I was running from life – but that’s in the past

I’m still running, I know not why

the sky is falling, fireballs shooting like comets

+ I think this recovery thing is never over –

it’s a life-long process that can’t be defined

by our constant categorizing.

(Photo by Adam Wilson on Unsplash)