Fire burns away the flesh of the past- Charring old sins and wasted guilt, Removing the slag of self-doubt and insecurity, Cauterizing old wounds and scars, Scalding the blood to remove false beliefs, Tempering the mettle of our soul, And scorching the body over As it refines everything we are into pure ash So we ...

My thumb digs into the grooved metal of the striker wheel, pressing and flicking to ignite my lighter. It sputters and clicks, trying to form that precious flame, and then it dies. So I switch to matches. My fingers tremble as I fish out one of the wooden sticks, scraping it against the side of ...

A dying fire burns in the hearth, grey smoke unfurling and twisting into the open air. Dust particles alight beneath the breaking of a new day. And he sits in his chair, old, decrepit, half-mad, as old thoughts bring fresh wounds. The first thought is of her smile: how it crinkled her face and brought ...