Poem: Setting Fire to My Life

Ah, the genesis of my leaving all that comfort for the unknown writer's life and what I thought it meant and perhaps what it actually did. Each poet writes a 'first' poem and this is mine.

Setting Fire to My Life Setting fire to my life, the spark of discontent flares a tinder of broken promises and dreams A roaring blaze, consuming yesterday throws all too little heat and not much light Flames lick, shadows dance against the wall It needed to burn out and settle down, this fire Needed to fall in upon itself in showers of sparks, turning much that’s gone to powdered ash Floating up, to drift away in spirals on the breeze Leaving just a hidden core of warm red coals The embers will last, maybe until morning, when new breath blows them softly into life Feeding smaller twigs to a more modest blaze Lower flames, more capable of heat and light Enough, at least, to make the morning coffee It’s come to that, the things I need to know Strong coffee and the squint of morning sun An honest taste and promise of another day Reflections from inside myself and all outdoors Learning who I am, how to love myself again It’s taken far too long and too much pain Shared by those who cared for me and lost their friend and lover to a mindless pile of things and stuff and heaps of promises Now burned and blown away, well gone There’s something here worthwhile to know Reason to blow those embers into life again Who can tell, when second chances come if it’s really worth the cost of all the burning But the gamble’s taken, setting fire to my life

This poem is included in Jim Freeman's poetry collection THE SMELL OF TWEED AND TOBACCO available here in print or as an e-Book in your favorite formats.