Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Bonfire party

 

 On a soft May evening
People gather
Bringing offerings for the bonfire
And food to share

Kids collect wood
The fire smokes
Then settles to burn
Branches, old furniture,
Construction waste
All consumed in the fire

As dusk falls
The fire burns high
Then low
Then settles to embers

The fire draws us together
Gives us purpose
Warmth of fire and friends
This is a bonfire party


4 comments:

  1. Wow, I am amazed... didn't know there are still places you could have bonfires !
    I fondly remember in Fall, bonfires in my Grandfather backyard and roasting potatoes but that was 60 years ago,

    Having lived in California (where my home burned down) and now Arizona... fire season has become a year around season. So no bonfires! in fact you will get a ticket and have to pay a fine.
    There are some National Camping Parks where fires are allowed but I think because of budget cuts they are all closed.

    So strange how we all view fires so differently.

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  2. Hi Parsnip,
    I hadn't thought about the fact that southern states wouldn't have bonfires, but of course it makes sense. How awful that your home burned down!
    We have a short burning season here (December to May usually). After that open fires are usually prohibited as the woods dry out. You can see from the photos that it's very green and wet here still.
    Bonfires are such a cool thing for kids and families and we enjoyed participating in this burn party.

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  3. Wow. I feel like I was right there, experiencing the stinging warmth on my face, mesmerized by the flames, and bound together by tradition. Lovely!

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