The Fire Pit on a Autumn Night

Today’s Focail do a Chara

Falling acorns punctuate the night with their percussive sounds,
the hum of cicadas an undercurrent chorus to the night air.

The tree crickets sing the lead and
I am mesmerized as I stare into the blue-yellow flame and
inhale the cedar smoke of the campfire.

Memories of childhood camping trips fill my lungs and
my heart as the logs hiss under the heat of the fire.

Flames reach up, illuminating the darkness as sparks
fly in the chilly air and disappear into
the inky night, followed by
huge puffs of gray smoke,
creating an iridescent vision of the woods beyond.

Lips soft and warm from the flame,
blackened remnants of wood,
orange embers warm and glowing.

Fire and air,
elemental gifts that draw me close to the earth,
ground me into the here and now,
sustain me with warmth and breath,
remind me that all I need at this moment is
provided for me.

© Christine Salkin Davis, 2017

Originally published at christinesdavisphd.blogspot.com on October 7, 2017.