#7 Explorations of Fire

Summer has begun while ever-deepening drought, with its accompanying wildfires, pushes beyond Western states and moves eastward. In the last two years wildfires have moved further than the usual dry, arid landscapes and has entered into traditionally unthinkable regions: the rainforest and the arctic circle. Now is the right time for us to turn our attention from the generosity ~ the grace ~ of the Water Element and inquire into the nature of Fire ~ putting “good fire” on the land, balancing the fire element in our souls, and creating warmth in our families. In the next few blogs and videos, on all three threads, we will live more deeply into fire. In Sacred Earth ~ Sacred Self: We will inquire into our soul’s relationship to fire: what “lights my fire,” also where does our inner fire threaten to burn out of bounds? Here, in A Litany of Wild Graces: We will explore humanity’s long relationship with fire, where we took a wrong turn and find inspiration for reestablishing right-relationship. In Family Life we will explore our relationship with fire in our daily rhythms, family warmth and the fire of creativity.

Below, we find the beginning of a long exploration of fire, from my new book A Litany of Wild Graces: Meditations on Sacred Ecology. More of the poem will come along piece by piece. See the Books section for order info.

A History of Fire

Birth

A child drifts like mist;

dayscapes within

home, prairie,

her father’s garden.

Dreamscapes hold

thresholds that

open into light,

a bee hive drones,

the night sky wheels above.

This is liquid wandering,

fluid as mandarin fish

gliding through Pacific coral.

Her parents say

“In her own little fog.”

Until the time of fire.

Initiation

Seared, scorched, scoured

charred to ash,

her house of self

is burned to the ground.

She is incense for the gods.

Photo by John Sullivan on Pixnio