After the Fire

The fire is out, the blackened heath bears witness to the heat
Hard ash, instead of soft green turf, beneath the childrens’ feet
The pastoral scene will not be saved by rain, or tears of sorrow
But Nature’s power, like human love, can build a new tomorrow.
Ash-dusted by the fire, the neighbouring fields await
The first green shoot to repossess, the arid, desert state
For with this sign of life restored, will grow green pastures new
Changing stoney blackness, to warmer, softer hue
New hope and strength returning, ameliorate the pain
As seasons soothe, Good Nature shapes the beauty spot again
Gentler breezes sway the grass, where flames came withering through
For those who come now, do not share the memories of the few
Who yet recall, the earlier scene, and question what began,
The pyre of love ‘tween man and wife, and trust twixt wife and man.
George Potter