Moonlitewriter's Library

by Chelsea Fryer

I stared into the beady red flames
Allowing it to consume me
The deeper the fire became
And although it was day
All I saw was the darkness
Deep within the cave

I didn’t draw around the eyes
Nor sing or be productive
I stared, sometimes talking
I asked questions I could never ask
And spoke things I couldn’t speak
Though the eyes were still
Always silent and without a reply

The world around me spun
Full of action and excitement
But also full of illness
I pretended not to see
By staring into the fire
That froze time with its eyes

Nothing told me it was real
Because things of reality move
They speak and scream and cry
But the eyes did not
Perhaps the reason I stared

One day I posed a question
Though I expected no answer
It simply made me calm
For none else would listen
I sat in anger and tears
Chaos and trembling
Guilt and fear
Past memories crept in the dark
As the fire was dying down

With a flicker
It replied to the question “Why?”
“Someday the world will weigh upon your shoulders
The strong shall hold it
But the weak shall fall”
The voice terrified me
Though it wasn’t deep or loud
It simply existed
And echoed in my mind

At dawn I rose
And went to the cave
But not even a coal remained
I sat and waited until dusk
Patiently, for a question was tight to my tongue
However, the fire never came

On certain occasions of loneliness
I sit and stare at the ashes
Praying they’ll turn to coals
Spring to fire and flames
So they may help me understand
But as ashes they remain
On my shoulders, the world weighs