In the frozen world, where ice and snow prevailed,
A traveler wandered alone, his spirit worn and frail.
No fire to warm his bones, no shelter to keep him safe,
He journeyed through a land of war, where factions fought for power and for place
He witnessed battles beyond imagination,
With blades and axes shattering the icy nation
He fought with bravery, but was wounded in the fray,
And stumbled across the terrain, bloodied, struggling, alive to stay
Discovering a hidden valley, he found a village of fire,
The flames burning bright, a beacon of life, a rekindled desire
The villagers nursed him back to health, with kindness and with care,
But offered him fire, only if he would swear their philosophies to share
From the wise woman chief,
He must learn to use the fire, without causing grief
A series of tests he must submit to not a few
Proving he was worthy, to share this fire anew
The first test was simple, two logs to burn,
Quickly or sparingly, he had to guess, he had to learn
He chose the latter, to make the fire last,
To conserve the warmth, the cold to shatter, the frost outcast
The second test was harder, to choose damp or dry kindling,
To keep the fire going, without the warmth dwindling
He chose the damp, using it wisely and more efficiently,
To keep the fire burning, slowly, steady, consistently
The third test was the most challenging of all,
A wooden chest, or dry leaves and twigs, he had to make the call
The chest held treasures, but the leaves would suffice,
So he chose the broken, brittle leaves and twigs, holding to the treasure chest
proving himself wise
The wise woman chief deemed him worthy, to carry the fire,
To share its warmth and spread its desire
He left the village, with the fire in his hand,
To make a difference, in barren, cold and frozen land
He traveled far and wide, to share the fire’s light,
To teach others to care, to use it right
Many followed him, and learned his ways,
Of using fire with wisdom, through long nights and shorter days
Years later, he returned to the village of fire,
To find it prosperous, and its people inspired.
He knew that he had made a difference, with the gift he received,
To care for the fire and use it to lead
The traveler lived his life, with the fire by his side,
To bring warmth and hope to those who were denied, to those who cried
He shared the wisdom, that the wise woman chief taught,
To care for the fire and use it, but not without thought
In the frozen world, the traveler’s legacy lived on,
Of using fire with wisdom, and not wasting its song
He left a mark, on a world that was harsh and cold,
A traveler’s story, that would forever be told
Scot Loyd 