A Year of Fire

A fresh spring love is hot, indeed,
   The flame fanned blue and white.
With youthful inexperience
   A bond grows true in spite.

They fumble through a frightening stage,
   A users guide cannot be found.
But none the less they seek to write
   Their owners map of ridge and mound.

The heat that pours from coupled hearts
   Welds futures and pasts to "Now".
And haste of springtime lust turns to
   A wedding march and vows.

The summers' heat removes the fuel
   Beneath the lovers flame.
The blaze begins to flicker some
   To both their hidden shame.

A dozen fights begin, resolve,
   Douse flames, then re-ignite.
They can't quite find the blast of heat
   Of springtime flames at height.

Now settled down, their love seems tame,
   The flame is low, but strong.
One sees what was, one hopes for more
   And neither knows what's wrong.

Autumn changes temperature
   Requiring the fire be tended.
Misunderstandings at last revealed
   The breaks and wounds are mended.

The constant summer flame's created
   Deep and red hot coals.
Springtime's sparks and summer's flames
   Settled deep within their souls.

And radiating, hot and strong
   From beneath the surface glows
A love so strong, through seasons forged
   Through all of life it flows.

Winter comes in wielding cold
   A gambler dealing death.
One sits silent, helpless, watching
   The drawing of their loves last breath.

Trying in vain to quench the heat,
   Death breaks and rakes the embers,
Only to expose the truest love,
   The best of what each remembers.

So winter passes, as must we all,
   And we each become a mourner.
But children grow and fall in love
   With springtime around the corner.

                -- Flip Nehrt