Bonfire Ode

Bonfire Ode

Temporary autumn temple, raised solely to be razed;
Wondrous pyramid of flame, looming fluidly o'er the field;
Open-air crematorium, ashing the bones of no-longer-livestock;
Annual communal beacon, from the Celtic past to the present night;
Spectacular sentry, opposing the waning days and the encroaching cold;
Effigy engulfer, symbolic immolator of the infamous Fawkes;
Palette of All Hallows, fiery oranges dolloping a backdrop of black;
O captivating blaze, you kindle so much more than a woodpile;
Your dramatic flare warms not just the skin but the whole October soul.

(originally published in Autumn Lauds: Poems for the Halloween Season)