Flames Poem by Billy Collins

Flames

Rating: 3.9


Smokey the Bear heads
into the autumn woods
with a red can of gasoline
and a box of wooden matches.

His ranger's hat is cocked
at a disturbing angle.

His brown fur gleams
under the high sun
as his paws, the size
of catcher's mitts,
crackle into the distance.

He is sick of dispensing
warnings to the careless,
the half-wit camper,
the dumbbell hiker.

He is going to show them
how a professional does it.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Michael Gale 18 March 2006

It is a good story but i feel that there could have been more added to it. Best regards-Mike Gale.

45 34 Reply
Dr. Eva L. Shaw 03 June 2010

I always did like Smokey the Bear and now I like him more! Great poem.

44 20 Reply
Nathan Markowitz 13 November 2007

I think it's funny. I knew that smokey was a hipocrit. For all we know, he smokes. It just shows you what the world we live in is like. Oh well, we will figure out what to do with ourselves sooner or late.- Your critic, Nathan Markowitz

25 32 Reply
elle 09 March 2022

wow great poem so insightful

1 0 Reply
da 09 March 2022

nice opinion

0 0
elle 09 March 2022

i agree

1 0
Kevin Patrick 11 May 2021

I dont know why but I find this poem hilarious, dark humor is my favorite kind!

1 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 11 May 2021

Excellent poem, Professor Bill Collins! Congratulations with The Modern Poem Of The Day

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 11 May 2021

True educative poem, our thoughts are trained here to think about and then add our own response/ Brilliant Professor Bill Collins! Congratulations being chosen so many thimes with so many several poems you created. God's Blessings!

0 0 Reply
Dr Antony Theodore 29 September 2020

His brown fur gleams under the high sun as his paws, the size of catcher's mitts, crackle into the distance. very good poem. tony

0 0 Reply
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