There's something about playing with fire...

There’s something about playing with fire. You know it’s dangerous and any second you could get burned, but if you hold it just right, keep moving fast enough you can avoid a scar.

The flames are intoxicating. A flame blinds you and alters your thoughts. Smoke stains you and leaves evidence of your fire play. There is no way to escape it. It lingers, contaminating your soul. Smoke always kisses and tells. Fire is a chemical reaction. It’s exciting to watch. The best fires come from proper formation, but even the most perfect setups have the potential to burn you---scar you for creating them.

To withstand the heat of the fire, you have to play smart. Sometimes you have to douse the flames before they become reckless, beyond your control, hell bent to run rampant. There’s a reason fire represents hell, but we still try to bargain with the devil.

Heat intrigues us. We become amenable to intrigue and thrill. You want the scars from flames. You crave them and disregard their consequences. You can heal from burns, no matter their degree. The raw power of fire draws you in. Sometimes you don’t know how the fire started, but before you know it it’s too big to put out. There’s something fascinating about watching a fire burn. You envy its focus and destructive power. In its wake it creates nutrients for new grow. Fire is a necessary component of life.

The truth is…every fire burns. If you keep building the fire, it will leave you scarred. You can build many times without incident, but even the most careful can get into trouble with one false move. All you have to do to be at risk is light a match. If you don’t douse the fire completely, embers will stir what you thought was extinguished.

You can’t play with fire without getting burned. Your strength will falter, your focus will blur and before you know it you will be in the middle of the flames, unable to escape.

2 comments:

Kevin and Jamie said...

Clarissa!!!! BE GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mom said...

another excellent piece of writing Clarissa, I love how you take life experiences and turn them into such powerful words...I love you, MOM