Done to the Bone
The Last Flame Challenge
An idea, rough as bark, rests in wood — mind, dormant, unsounded.
You shave away a feather stick
To build a spark
Through the curling tinder.
The kiss of oxygen,
A push of breath through your lips.
Heat
Around the firmness of your fingertips.
Instantly,
You light the flame.
The idea grows big
Above the wooden fuel,
Out of control.
You suck the air in,
Trying to contain,
Preserve what sense you could make
out of it.
Ideas in shape.
But it feeds back into your soul.
You let the air out.
Your final attempt at control.
The flame shrinks now,
While you did this.
The idea decays then,
Smoldering, drawing deep.
It is glowing, a red coal
Without a visible flame.
The walls of your mind reveal the stain of the soot
What you had reduced to ash,
Done to the bone and brittle.
Mineral, back to dust.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who reads my work and helps me up when I am down. Thank you also for choosing to read this one, as I slowly get back to the bouncy version of me. ♥️🤗🙏🏽🖤
About the Creator
Caitlin Charlton
poetry too close to home
🪄~unique fictional stories 💎 you’ve never known 🪄
📖~ let me read your work, say hi to me, I will leave comments longer than the road, please do return ~ 🙏🏽
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~ married👰💍 ~
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Comments (21)
Congratulations!🥳 A fascinating poem & take on the challenge.
Back to say congrats on placing in the challenge, Caitlin! Richly deserved!
Congratulations on your win, Caitlin❣ A powerful use of metaphors here. I hope you are ok, and I am sending you hugs right now.🫂
Yayyyy!! Way to go Caitlin!! Congrats!!!
The kiss of oxygen... And Cadbury Moments. Torture me more.
Super cool! Loved the fire imagery—so alive and crunchy, like you can feel the heat and the ash. Makes me wanna spark an idea and watch it dance… then quietly sip coffee while it fades.💖
This journey feels like rewatching a film you never grow tired of. Thoughts, emotions, ideas, and faces reflect along with the flame. And the soul grows calm, letting itself fade and become coal once more. An eternal soul, an eternal sigh. Last breaths of comfort. :)) ♥️🤗
Always fan the flames for they will ignite from the smallest ember. The fires never done until it is completely extinguished till then rise like the phoenix from the flames that stir beneath. Great work 😊
Such a powerful metaphor for creativity. I love how you captured the cycle of inspiration here.
Another gem, Caitlin. The words and feelings expressed in them are captivating. Nice work.
"The walls of your mind reveal the stain of the soot" That was my favourite line. Your poem was so intense, raw, fiery, and powerful. I freaking loved it!
Very compelling and very powerful I could not stop reading I was just like wow. A massive phenomenal writing piece here. I hope you get better soon lovely. Thank you for sharing this piece. Take it easy.
Interesting progression of consuming fire.
I’m applauding this one, Caitlin! The tone, rhythm and metaphor all work hand in glove to produce a masterful poem, both thought provoking and pleasing to the tongue and ear. Truly excellent work and a great entry to the challenge!
Phenomenal writing CC! Praying that you feel better soon! 🙏🏾
The sensory you used here is some of the most striking I've ever come across! This is such a wonderful piece, Caitlin!
What a great way that your mind works in producing your writings. Really makes one think for themselves as well. Good job.
The metaphor of the flame is an apt one, Caitlin. Our ideas are exactly like that.....they spark, then get reduced to dust. My favourite here is "done to the bone and brittle." That's the writing process!
It was all raw emotion, and I felt the heat
Your play with words is beautiful right from the beginning of this poem. Though the fire dies away, the heat is kept right until the last word, like warm ashes right before they cool off. P/S: take all the time you need to recreate yourself 🖤 I hope you are learning the ways in which you can love yourself best on your journey 🖤 Your strength and raw vulnerability is inspiring 🖤 Amazing poem, and amazing you 🖤
Oooh, I love this. It has a different feel than your recent pieces. There's a certainty here that I really like.