Drinking Gasoline Near The Burning Fire Poem by RIC BASTASA

what we cannot do with fire
touching it or we burn

caressing its hair or we
feel the seeping pain of heat and sting

we find a way of having to watch at a distance
where we are safely satisfied

the fire burns profusely that even when it is far from us
our thoughts melt and our identities with our wishes

get all confused about what to do next
we feed ourselves with gasoline and not expect

what catastrophe shall next happen
the fire laughs, and tells the sky how foolish can we all be.