Around a fire
We gather
Each version of ourselves
From the years gone by
Joined by all the souls
Who partnered to create pain
Before we knew
How to protect ourselves
The fire exists
To hold what we could not
One by one
We read a slip of paper
Containing a fragment
Of pain from the past
Into the fire it goes
Establishing the boundary
We didn’t know we needed
Long ago
With hand over heart
We feel the roots of sadness
Planted in our souls
Begin to recede
Something new has begun
That can’t yet be seen
With a hint of hope
For what’s to come
The fire flares
As we thank each flame
For carrying a weight
We have carried for too long
No longer ours to hold
They waft into the heavens
Little did we know
They were never ours at all
Tomorrow’s first light
Welcomes a new beginning
A heart reclaimed
For hope and love and…
More
An original poem by Barrett Brooks
Written February 2024
© 2025
…but you may share this work without alteration in small group settings
… for other print or compilation inquiries, please reach out directly
Featured photo by Guido Jansen on Unsplash