I used to wonder at this burning
And think, “I must not let it burn so hot
I must contain my fire—
So much damage can it do.
— A fire left unchecked?
We should better put it out.”
But what I did not realize
Was that no one could extinguish
The billowing flames of the burning—
And try as I might, my flames would not
Be quenched
—And I despaired,
knowing my fire must burn.
But what I could not realize
Was with the light I made
(As I burned inwardly)
Others navigated the seas
They found their way from east to west
To places they’d only dreamed
And farmers planted crops that grew,
And the cold transformed to warmth
And the lost found their way in my light.
And without the burning—
Nothing would be found
—Nothing would thrive.
And when I realized this was true,
That all things,
the burning
The fire
the flames
were not to be feared
—but to be used?
I realized there was purpose in the burning.
And I rejoiced in the dancing flames
knowing that others
Might find their way as well.
For in the light of the stars
Darkness cannot stand.
And my fire had always been a gift.