When Etna Breathes Fire
Ashes to Awakening
This week is one of introspection for many—on souls loved and lost. So, we pause to ponder the echoes of fire and ash. A volcano's eruption reminds us that even the strongest forces bear grief and must weaken to renew—and strengthen. The chaos reshapes land—and spirit.
From the ash, new life begins.
🔥🌌🌋🔥
The giant rises, stirs in silence
Before its rousing roar;
Its grief in our spirit, not just in stone
The sky drew breath before it soared.
🔥🌌🌋🔥
Tongues of flame curl in the night,
A loud roar tearing calm;
The mountain's fire, bursts of grief,
Shakes decades of quiet and peace.
🌄🔥🌫️🔥
What lies beneath the mountain's soil
Crawls in full, or part, to the top;
So, it burns what it reaps not
And what no longer serves.
🌋💨🌑🔥
The fire cools, its soil reshapes
The new form of the world;
From ashes' cradle, new spirit made
Life charts its own return.
🌱🌄✨🔥
The giant sleeps once more —
But in perfect slumber,
Her dreams of green
Of peace on every shore.
🌿💤🌍✨
For Mikeydred's November challenge:
About the Creator
Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin
Hi, i am an English Language teacher cum freelance writer with a taste for pets, prose and poetry. When I'm not writing my heart out, I'm playing with my three dogs, Zorra, Cloudy and Snowball.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Keep reading
More stories from Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin and writers in Poets and other communities.
Comments (13)
Vividly emotive! It would be a terrifying experience to witness an eruption.
Sorry I missed this
He way you balance natural imagery with emotional depth makes the volcano feel alive almost like a mirror of human experience. Truly immersive.
Outstanding piece well done for Top story as well. So in-tuned with this piece. Thank you for sharing with us.
Congratulations on your Top Story, Michelle. The giant rises...fire and bursts of grief ... and then it sleeps in the new form of world. Stunning work.
Love your poem Michelle, and Congratulations on your Top Story.
Back to say congratulations on your Top Story! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
congrats on TS; this is an eloquent way to put thoughts into words and words on paper.
🎊Back to say congratulations on your top story, my lovely ♥️🤗🖤🎊
Congrats on an awesome write, well done certainly deserves top story.
Outstanding work Michelle!
Must weaken to renew. A solid, spiritual statement and fact. 🌋'It's grief in our spirit not just in stone' at first the volcano was far away, not near us, now it is within us. I love that. The word tongue made it easy for me to see in my minds eye, how it curls. 🌋Love the rhythm. It slowly creeps up on us. 'So it burns what it reaps not' 👌🏾 🌋Oh my those last four lines were beautiful, ending on a calm, sweet tone, of a problem or emotion that is now resolved. Through the symbol of the volcano. Outstanding work as always, Michelle. 🤗🖤❤️
This was so powerful and uplifting. Loved your poem!