Fire and Ashes

Ishwor Kadel
A flint from an inglenook
just after one of the cracks
descends and survives 
in her hearth.
 
At day,
She goes for hunting far and wide
fights fiercely 
runs behind the dreams
throws herself like an  arrow from her bow
and returns as a boomerang 
too tired to touch herself.

What she does all the time
is just keeps the fire alive.

Fire,
that sparks suddenly
in you, me and them
is from the same fireplace 
of the only master
who loves firing his charcoal
for transforming the energy beyond
and enjoys the crackles and the blaze
and goes on adding the coals
and the coals turn to ashes.

The stoker,
in a coal black disguise
never takes rest
rather smiles beside his furnace
among his paraphernalia. 

If the last flint is put out
it won’t leave anything behind.

[Ishwor Kadel is a poet, teacher’s trainer and educator. His published works include Baya, a collection of poems, and Echoes, a novel. He is also a reputed translator.]