Are You The Ash Or The Fire? Poem by Kenneth Maswabi

The fire burns hot
Deceived by the chemical eruptions inside its heart
Unaware of the impending doom
The fire is mesmerised by the intensity of its flames
Oblivious to the approaching darkness
The fire counts time as its friend
Mistaken by the illusion of its immortality
The fire is ready to stand naked among the gods
Ignorant to the fragility of its flames
The fire is totally consumed by its pride

The ash is fast to embrace humility
Settling down to a life of immortality
The ash is veiled in a white royal garment
As it takes its rightful position among the gods
The ash is ready to be scattered by the blowing wind
To nurse and nourish the earth
In a cycle of renewal and reincarnations
The ash is forever kissed by the lips of time