The Fire and the Rose
The Fire and the Rose
If death greets us singly, one-by-one, alone
And asks why we should not be taken back,
The brave will say (or else the wiser grown)
That little terror lies along that track;
Since each knows well he lives in separate rooms
Though sometimes letting others stay awhile,
But still the doorway closes as a tomb
Excludes affliction, slights the sinner's guile.
So as the heedless, drifting years move on
And Good and Evil visit in their turn,
Be wary of the Fire of triumphs won,
The Rose's siren lure that strives to burn.
I stood upon a rock in morning shade,
Saw figures lost in darkness shadows made.
Chris Hubbard
Perth
2016
Chris Hubbard
Fri 27th Oct 2017 06:15
Harry,
Thank you for your comments. I enjoyed reading them, as indeed I find that writing and reading sonnets (and other forms such as the Petrarchan sonnet, and Dante's "terza rima" tercet) ultimately more satisfying than alternatives such as blank verse.
I do think you have captured a great deal of the essence I sought to convey in this poem, although of course each person will have their own set of understandings.
I wrote this with a sense of humility, and I wrote it both for myself and for others. I too believe in 'Hope' as the balm - of a simple life.
All the best,
Chris Hubbard