Fondly recalling many
olden times,
Huddled together by the hearthside.
Its warmth and closeness
like a shawl,
Drawing us ever nearer to
that fiery focus.
Dim light from an oil lamp
made it magical,
As flames swooped and
extended from within.
The smell of freshly cut
turf from the bog,
Seeped into clothing and
drifted into being.
Contentedly observing the
heart-hole of flame,
It simmered a creeping
redness upon itself.
There it was easy to drift
away to all other places,
Old Irish homesteads thrived
in this kind of welcome.
©Copyright Eileen T O’Neill 15/10/2015
Poets United Midweek Motif: Fire…
Great piece filled with memories and longing, greetings!
ReplyDeleteThe warmth of fire brings forth several cherished memories :D
ReplyDeleteLove the tenderness of this poem. Beautifully penned!
Lots of love,
Sanaa
the addition of aromas adds greatly to this nostalgic fireside theme
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely scene you describe. So nice!
ReplyDeleteOh this poem takes me back.....I especially love the line about the welcome in old Irish homesteads. Wonderful, Eileen!!!!!
ReplyDeleteah...good ole days full of warmth,love and contentment....
ReplyDeleteI love the images that a "heart-hole of flame" conjures up!
ReplyDeleteFiery Voices
For a few minutes, it was as if I was there, as you painted the scene.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was always a pleasure to visit and find a warm fire waiting to welcome us whether at home or at a friends place.
ReplyDeleteLooking into a hearth gives one such a warm feeling! If only those warm feelings could be 'bottled up' and saved for the chilly times of later years. A beautiful poem, Eileen.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful! It transports the reader to another time and place ... a lovely hearth and home earth-centric simplicity of living. So much warmth and tenderness, really, in this piece. One of my fave's of yours, Eileen.
ReplyDeleteModern life is comfortable but memories often come from 'harder' shared experiences..power cuts often allowed a different and maybe better coming together - i sensed that here on a larger scale
ReplyDeleteIt's so wonderful to be out in the open with myriads of things happening around us.More so when you are as observant as a poet should be. Rightly so Eileen!
ReplyDeleteHank