Fire Dancers

When I was a child I once

saw fire dancers,

twirling and spinning flaming torches

around their heads and bodies,

the flames spun around the

dancers, but they never got

burned.

I thought, “I wish I could try

that, that looks amazing”,

but I was discouraged from doing

so. My mother told me those

fire dancers, they practiced for

a lifetime to master their skill.

She told me it would be dumb

to assume that I, as a child, knew

anything about fire dancing, or fire

for that matter. I didn’t have the

experience, know-how or insight

into the life of a fire dancer.

“I’ll show her”, I thought. I’ll light

this torch on fire and dance with

the greatest of ease, it has to be easy,

they made it look so graceful and

simple. I’m sure I know as much as

they do.

Several minor burns later I knew

my mother was right. I had no

business meddling within the

realms of fire dancers. I did not

have the knowledge, know-how,

or skills to ever understand the

fire dancer’s life.

I was just a child playing with fire,

a child too ignorant and proud to

admit that I was attempting a skill,

a life-style choice that I knew absolutely

nothing about. I learned that I would

have to know more about fire dancers.

I learned that just because I

know about fire-dancers doesn’t

give me the skills to become one.

It doesn’t even give me a platform

to discuss their trials and tribulations.

Lifetimes of burns and scars.

I still know next to nothing about

fire dancers, as a grown man, and

it would be foolish to pretend that

I knew what was best for the fire

dancing community.

Let the fire dancers dance,

let them twirl and spin,

wildly in the night,

without the non-fire dancers

telling them how to do it.

Eventually, they’ll burn you.

And you probably asked for it.