Burnt

I had stacked all the pieces of myself neatly in order
Determined never to crumble again
Hard and rigid
Cold and unfeeling

Along came a wild and free,
Erratic and elusive, breeze
A friend who's company I knew I could enjoy
And soon I let my structure sway with ease

How was I to know
This little wind could effect me so?
To intrigue and enchant
To entice me to loosen my lattice

I still don't know where the spark came from
But I tried desperately
To keep the fire from starting
The breeze is my friend, I thought frantically

But the fire caught and held
Consuming me until I gave in
Wanting and willing
My wispy friend to feed the reaction

But it burned too brightly
Too hot and fast
Blinding us both
Leaving only brittle ash

I tried to negotiate the dying embers
I hadn't meant for the fire to start at all
I tried to put the burnt pieces back together
Only to crumple the charred remnants all the more

In the absence of
Any reassurance
I assumed the worst
Giving into despair

The flames had destroyed it all
My friend was nowhere to be found
Just the destruction of
My negligence all around

But the breeze had only sacrificed
A small part of herself to the fire
She danced still, from a distance now
Though she did appear to tire

The reaction had effected,
Though certainly not destroyed, her
It did, however, alter me
Now, I too, would be free

No longer rigid and immobile
Cold and unfeeling
As smoke and ash I could catch the breeze
If only she weren't so fleeting

There is nothing wrong with being selfish
I was so concerned with causing, or being, hurt
I had no idea that the best thing I could hope for
Was to be burnt