Flame

[Dris]

Though I was tossed into the fire,
I kindled one of my own.
It burned brighter
than the one I walked through,
bringing me out of its beastly jaws.
Emerging triumphantly,
I screamed,

"I survived,
I survived"

A crowd clapped and cheered
and I heard them cry,
"Fighter,
survivor,
ember of Hope,
warrior of Pain."

Though they cringed while I burned.

Deaf to their cheering,
I was.
For I knew what they shun.
And so I let it fade away,
both crowd and flame,

Ex lovers.
Old friends.
Old identities.
Like the shifting of the seasons.
Like metamorphosis.
Like metanoia.

Alone, now.
I looked at my armour.
Ripped skin,
singed hair,
broken bones --
asking myself

What purpose does this serve?
What war am I fighting?
What kingdom is this?

Singed hair,
broken bones,
ripped skin --
but pain I could feel no more.

Like a third degree burn.

And so I thundered,
Back into the fading light.

Ripped skin, --
no, Calloused now.
Broken bones --
no, Mended now.
Singed hair --
no, Shedded now.

Like the shifting of the seasons.
Like the shedding of a caterpillar's skin.
Like metamorphosis.
Like metanoia.

The flame shifted into the shape of a starving dog,
Cowering away from me
as I ran towards it.
There was something in its eyes --
I think it was fear
as if horrified that I did not crumble
into ash within its flame.

I grabbed it by its throat,
throttled it from side to side --
its eyes in a frenzy --
No --
my Face in a frenzy.

"You will not leave me feeling nothing"
I cried,
"not after walking through the fire.
How can I see to my wounds,
if I cannot even feel the pain.

You will not dull my light,
and your flame will never outshine mine

I am thundering, thundering back into your fading light
To claim back what was once mine.

With every single dance
laugh
poem
game
thundering back
your flame and mine
one 
now the same."