The Chimney
Deep in the woods... beside a well-worn trail
A lone fireplace stands… in solitude, abandoned
Upon a bare foundation... the dwelling long absent
No signs or markers or plaques... no history
What happened to the cottage here… when, how, why
Did a family move on… to seek a brighter future
Did nature take its toll... wind or flood or wildfire
Or a more insidious ruin... destruction from within
This chimney... drawing all close to its hearth
Giving light and warmth… nurture… love
Did this furnace... with sacred duty to hold the fire
To keep the blaze contained… let the flame escape
How did one ember... pass all boundaries
And bring such affliction... after many steadfast years
Yet why was the cottage so dry... so prone to combustion
No tending of the fire… no water to douse the flare
I want to know… to understand… to blame
Was the chimney at fault… negligent… or not
But what does it matter now… the damage is done
Time scattered the ashes… the ruins cleared long ago
Except for the fireplace... it still stands
An empty hearth… where fire once burned
A hollow chimney… where smoke once rose
Still having the form but no function… impotent
A relic to what was... but is no more
Left to gaze from now on... upon this tragedy
A chimney stands alone here… in shame
Lonely in this place... just like me
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