Isolated Flames

I stare curiously into the fire of your soul,
Wondering how it grew so contained.
What caused the strength of flames inside?
How your loyal spirit still remains?
In a way it’s so familiar.
A mirror image of my own.
What did it destroy to burn so long?
How does it burn now all alone?
It reminds me of the one I hold with pride.
Certain it was a unique trait I had earned.
A gift from defeat in childhood,
Noble blindness in what I’ve learned.
Where did it become necessary,
To ignore the pain it makes?
Are you certain where the flames began?
Are you aware of the numbness that it takes?
I thought I was the only one,
Who could tame this harmful hatred.
Yet yours is placed precisely over pain,
Hiding the own damage it created.
Curious, if we ignite each others hearts,
How much damage it would cause.
If we would laugh as they consumed.
If they would combine without flaws.
Could we laugh as it destroyed,
What wasn't meant to be.
Showing the world what it caused,
As our spirits became free.
Yet, fire was meant to destroy.
It was only made to armor in vain.
Too much for us to control our thoughts.
Inside the flames was only pain.
Stepping back I decide not to take
A chance in hurting what is good.
Left inside of you, I can not live.
Although, my conscious says I should.
Love cannot exist from the same ,
Thing that made it dead.
I want back what it killed long ago,
While it dances in my head.
Although we've held onto it so loyal
Because inside, it made us strong
Becoming dependent on the negative
Forgetting all this hate was wrong.
I walk away, my head held firmly down.
No tears are left to weep, my dear.
An  end left tragically with no beginning.
The burn couldn’t sacrifice my own fear.
I step back & admire from afar,
This true reflection of my heart.
Still curious how you built it too.
Deciding to let them grow apart.
Smile now, we will both leave knowing,
One glance & I could understand,
I may never know why it grows inside,
Or how my own fire ever truly began.

An original poem for the Willie,  Sept. 2019.