Cleaning the Ash Pan

Fires burn with curious intensity
smoke and steam rising through the
black creosote crusted chimney.

Flames leap and lick around the logs
spreading orange warmth and
cracking deep unforgiving
consuming the log slowly
never going back.

When the warmth and pleasant
sound is finished
when all that is left is spent ash
comes the task of beginning again.

Reaching in with careful strokes
and cleaning out the ash.
Emptying each corner
sometimes finding
a still warm coal and putting it
where it will not start a
bigger fire.

Soft grey traces always remain marking
like ancient cavemen the walls
in passing shouting to careful ears.
Here we ate and were warm
sit and bide a wee