The Fire

I am fortunate enough to have a house with a beautiful marble hearth. I made a fire today and have been sitting in front of it for the last couple of hours, just staring at the orange embers and listening to the hiss and pop of the burning wood. Starting a fire is an achievement in and of itself. This isn't a gas stove where you just flick a switch and watch the flame glow blue. This requires kindling, paper, matches, and nice dry wood with rough enough of a surface to give the flame something to light on. When you get a nice fire started, it's almost like a piece of art. I can honestly look back and remember good fires I have lit and bad ones that just never went right. This one took a little coaxing but eventually everything came together and a satisfying evening of calming sights, sounds and smells were my result. Tonight was a good fire. It drained my fears and disappointments and centered my hopes and aspirations for just a little while. It's just like magic.

One can enjoy a wood fire worthily only when he warms his thoughts by it as well as his hands and feet. ~Odell Shepherd