The Last Hearth
a poem
The last hearth sits
In the sea of eternal frost
Amongst the once proud pines
Ever lit
It wards against the darkness
Yet year by year
The space
Between hearth and copse
Expands
Imperceptible
Like a trunk
Inching skyward in spring
As the pines fall to fuel the flame
And year by year
We huddle closer
As the winds tear through the divide
Every winter
More huddle around
Seeking warmth
Beside the flame demanding more fuel
Lest all freeze
Another year
The copse recedes
The winds tear at ever exposed flesh
And those intrepid few
Venturing forth
Never return
There’s never time
To replant
Those trees fell
By our own hand
Does such sum of sin
Ever condemn us
To eternal flagellation
Beside the final flame?
About the Creator
Matthew J. Fromm
Full-time nerd, history enthusiast, and proprietor of arcane knowledge.
Here there be dragons, knights, castles, and quests (plus the occasional dose of absurdity).
I can be reached at [email protected]
Keep reading
More stories from Matthew J. Fromm and writers in Poets and other communities.
Throne of the Beast
“Lock and load.” Knight One’s command echoed through his helmet, drowning out the helo’s thumping engines. Knight Two sat across from him, his mechanical gloves thumbing the safety on his oversized auto shotgun clad in etched black metal. Knight Four scoffed silently, his face obscured by the jet-black helmet. An uncivilized weapon for an uncivilized man. There are already enough of those in this godless world. Two always seemed unsettling, like a big frothing dog in a constant internal struggle of, “Should I bite or hump my master?” It was no wonder Callsign General loved Two, even if Callsign Archbishop barely tolerated him. One was the Archbishop's girl.
By Matthew J. FrommExclusive • 2 years ago
A Letter to the Firestarter
Dear Firestarter, We can all see you, we've been watching you since you began. In case you didn't know we were here before you and we will be here after. We witnessed your rise, your setbacks, your guilt and your lies. We witnessed you start the fire.
By Donny Foley3 days ago in Poets
Comments (16)
Congratulations!🥳 Very deep take on the challenge!✅
Well done pally!
Congrats, buddy!
Wooohooooo congratulations on your honourable mention! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Fackin’ ell mate… self preservation leads to self destruction. I didn’t want to feel gutted so early in my day 🤣 I hesitate to say I hope you’re staying warm up north hahaha
Those poor trees. Beautiful work, Matthew, and congratulations on making the leadership board this week!👏👏👏
You’re the Manafort winner!
Wooohooooo congratulations on your Leaderboard placement! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Wel.done mai tai lad. Nice sharing leaderboard with you.
Your work carries a quiet, reflective dread, balanced with intimacy around the hearth. It effectively conveys both vulnerability and resilience, drawing the reader into the emotional landscape.
Powerful poem, Matthew, and a great entry into the challenge!
Oooo, this chilled me. Expands imperceptible... So much said in two words that could be applied to so many things. We let go just a little, barely noticing what we've given up until it's too late and we're condemned. Wonderfully written!
Oooo, those last four lines hit so hard! Loved your poem!
Yes, it should. Great poem on our destruction of forests and the results.
Flagellation final flame . . . Lovely alliteration This is beautiful. This is what I did for last flame: https://todaysurvey.life/poets/sacrificial-fire%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv class="css-w4qknv-Replies">
Ooo I love the cyclical feel to this and the question you raise. Very philosophical and moral questioning. Great work my friend.