Where did the fire go?
The one we used to use
to burn out the distemper in us?
The one we used to light
in perpetual memory
of where we were from
and where we were going.
The home fire,
that gave us light in darkness
and warmth in winter.
That cooked the meat
of great bests we hunted,
and around which
we told our stories of war.
The one that kept
the life in our lives,
because a cold hearth
is the end of a society.
Why did we let it die?
What cruel lie
were we told would replace it?
What snake oil will we use
to treat our sickness, now?
The very sickness brought about
by the death of our community.
The hearth, the home, the family,
traded in for virtual appointments
with fake people in simulated places.
The fire used to warm the skin
and the soul inside,
but this blue light from black screens
seems to suck the life out,
and nothing returns.
We didn’t lose the fire,
it was stolen from us
where we did not give it away.
Convinced by slick-tongued salesmen
that the cold light would guide us.
Look at us now.
How is this better?
In what way is this healthier
for the body mind, and soul?
For the people, or the planet?
Tell me,
where did the fire go?
DJR – 2022
