Coat of Red

My friends and I watched as the fire died
One night in the late of May.
It had eaten through all of the timber and twigs
We'd fed it early that day.

The moon shone brightly in the midnight sky.
The life of the forest was asleep.
But I could not find any peace, nor rest.
Inside, there was something incomplete.

I closed my eyes for just a second,
And when they opened, I found
What once was a simple pile of ash
Now had embers that glowed on the ground.

I glanced to the left, and then to the right,
But my friends were all in deep slumber,
None of them aware of the rising heat
From the remnants of all the old lumber.

The sparks lit up and began to climb,
Higher and higher they aimed.
Fear pierced my heart as the embers transformed
Into brilliant, dancing red flames.

I stood there in awe as the flames danced about,
My feet planted into the ground.
Paralysis struck me. My being was still -
The fire had left me spellbound.

The flames kept growing, and though I was scared,
I couldn't resist the sight.
I knew I should try to put the fire out,
But I couldn't bring myself to fight.

A while had passed, and the fire had grown;
By now, it'd surpassed my height.
It stared back at me with a menacing glare
That left me with much of a fright.

It softened abruptly, and slowly a smile
Shone brightly back towards me.
Relief flushed throughout of my troubled mind,
And tears trickled down my cheek.

The fire laughed heartily to my surprise,
It said it had ever missed me.
It reached out a hand, and gently it spoke
To offer up a dance with me.

Not one single thought had crossed my mind
Of the danger that I now faced.
I took its hand and it drew me in close,
And the warmth flowed through my waist.

We spun 'round and 'round, we lit up the sky
As we danced close together that night.
Not yet had I noticed the rising pain
As the heat had begun to bite.

Joy filled my heart as we moved faster yet,
But to my dismay, I could see
That the once tall flames that were holding me close
Were beginning to shrink before me.

We slowed down gradually, we took smaller steps
And eventually, we came to an end.
All I could see was its passionate stare
As my flames disappeared in the end.

The fire I loved had died once again.
It had left me alone in the dark.
From the heat that had previously touched my skin,
I could finally see a mark.

It was starting to swell. Blisters were forming.
Sobs had clogged up in my throat.
I could still feel the fire. It was biting. The pain!
It embraced my body like a coat.

I'd danced in the fire, though I'd known I shouldn't.
I couldn't resist its touch.
I now paid the price for my time with the flames...
The pain of the burn was too much.

I cried and I wailed as the burn lingered still,
But I was now all alone,
For the fire had led me away from my camp,
And I didn't know where to roam.

I wept and I screamed 'till my voice was gone.
Although I was aware of the pain,
I wished for my fire to burn brightly once more
And to offer up a dance yet again.

After who knows how long, I closed my eyes.
I then hit the ground with a smack.
I felt all alone, but just moments later
I felt a hand on my back.