Bark In The Blaze

• Alan Madappatt, Grade 8, Kenmore State High School -
• Poetry
• 2020

Excellence Award in the 'The Inside Story 2020' competition

Fire, the timid dog,
Leashed by the blacksmith to craft perfection,
Whimpering quietly in the corner, casting shadows against the wall,
Emitting warmth and light to all.

Fire, the savage wolf,
The primordial beast that rages through the forest,
Reducing the proud pines to smouldering piles, with a swipe of his fiery paws.
Exhaling tendrils of smoke that seep through the carnage, he gnaws.
Howling with delight, at the countless villages that have succumbed to flame.

We do not see the fury hiding in the flickering flame,
Nor do we see the justice within the inferno.
We do not realise that it is the two that ignite the shrivelled wicks of our hope.
So, fire and canine will do what they do best.

They will surprise us when we least expect it.