Fireplace

The weather outside is sunny and hot,
I know I can tell, central air on still.
Grass is still growing, leaves are green,
sitting here waiting for that first
morning chill.

Turning to look at our fireplace,
needs a good cleaning if we plan to use.
Gathering my bucket, scrub brush and gloves,
one kitty is already trying to amuse.

Took down the screen to bring outside,
easier to just hose it and leave it to dry.
By the time I came in to get this all started,
one kitty was sitting rubbing her eye.

Bucket was toppled, suds were everywhere,
another kitty was sitting in a pile of soot.
Picked up Alex, wiped the soap from her eye,
but Cassie was covered from head to foot.

Filled up the sink with warm water and soap,
gently washed Cassie until she was clean.
Wrapped her up in a towel and rubbed
her dry,
until I could see her coat had a nice sheen.

Now the floors were a mess from being wet,
towels and old blankets to soak up the water.
Robert awoke hearing the chatter and noise,
observing the scene he laughed at my falter.

Mind you the fireplace was still unclean,
he said take the kitties and go inside.
We stayed in that room for what seemed
like hours,
he cleaned everything up and restored
my pride.

Written by:
Karen Palumbo

Armies in the Fire

Armies in the Fire
By Robert Louis Stevenson

The lamps now glitter down the street;
Faintly sound the falling feet;
And the blue even slowly falls
About the garden trees and walls.

Now in the falling of the gloom
The red fire paints the empty room:
And warmly on the roof it looks,
And flickers on the back of books.

Armies march by tower and spire
Of cities blazing, in the fire;–
Till as I gaze with staring eyes,
The armies fall, the lustre dies.

Then once again the glow returns;
Again the phantom city burns;
And down the red-hot valley, lo!
The phantom armies marching go!

Blinking embers, tell me true
Where are those armies marching to,
And what the burning city is
That crumbles in your furnaces!

The Fireplace

THE FIREPLACE
by Anne R. C. Neale

I see the glow of the yellow and red flames
As the fire burns so bright,
It brings an inner warmth inside of me
As I sit there by its light,

The fireplace is so awesome,
As the wood begins to glow,
While outside in the yard you see
Is hail and sleet and snow.

The fire crackles and hisses
As the flames burst way up high.
A screen is in front of it
To catch flying sparks, that is why,

The aroma of the wood burning
Is a pleasant smell indeed,
Eating popcorn by the fireplace
Is all that we now need.

Sitting by a glowing fire
In the fire place is great,
It’s fun to watch the beautiful flames
While the wood does meet its fate.

A fire in the fire place
Is great and an awesome sight,
It’s beautiful and so peaceful too,
Either in the day time, or at night.

The Fireplace

There she sits at the place of fire
Watching the flames leaping higher and higher
The racing flames let her eyes sparkle green
A cold and cruel beauty never before seen
The face although formed of flesh and bone
Is set and stern like a mask of stone
Yet does in this sight no cruelty appear
causing rather pity than fear
Brown hair is framing this ivory face
Embroidering it like a beautiful lace
Opposite her a strange wanderer sits
Tall but slender with eyes catlike slit
He, too, is quiet, not moving at all
Watching the fire’s rise and fall
His face has features alien and strange
Fine but not human with the light they change
Both were fearless warriors once
Clad in armour both steel and bronze
Many a fight in their lives they have seen
Opposing evil wherever they have been
But even they were defeated one day
When an evil sorcerer crossed their way
He damned them to live forever in trance
To witness forever the same fires dance
Yet the good forces on earth wished them well
And altered the evil’s casted spell
One will come, never born to the land

And the curse will be broken by his hand.

by Ledro Norssad.