The Bonfire

THE BONFIRE
Lars Lampheter
(Lars Lampheter is the pen name of Dr Peter Marshall)

Carefully, he stacked the waste
And raked the loose bits into place.
And then he bent and struck a match
And watched the flames begin to catch.

As if from sleep, the fire awoke,
With a lively crackle and some smoke.
And then the dark grey cloud crept low
And soon the fire was all aglow.

And smoke was dancing high in the air
With eddies developing here and there
As small explosions burst in the gas
As unburnt products released their mass

The grey-green smoke, heavy with tar
Rose high in the air and travelled far
“I like a bonfire”, said gardener, Fred.
“It’s better than fly-tipping, I suppose”, I said.

But the Laws of Conservation provide
That mass can never be destroyed.
It just changes form, so, lighter than air,
The waste, to all, the fire can share.

Thus, changed, its products transferred
   are
To air and lands both near and far
And so, you see, the bonfire itself
‘Is’ fly-tipping, but by stealth.