Transformation by Fire

While burning hedge loppings today, I fed the flames with my personal papers dating back 20+ years. Course notes and journals, various workshop notes, first second and third drafts of articles, books long gone, etc etc. It's a big deal for me to let all this stuff go, though I'll never use it again and what I need I still have within me. But being a natural hoarder with a 'just in case' mentality, brought up with scarcity just after the war, I find this very hard.

A couple of weeks ago I binned all the tapes of lectures, and tapes of the fiction and poetry I did for local radio. Not nearly so satisfying as building and feeding a fire.

These papers represent things that are no longer life-enhancing and, in the jargon of my old world, I offer them up to the transforming fire and release them, inviting new opportunties and expansion, or put more simply - de-clutter to make room for more lovely retirement jollies. And of course, the ash will be added to the compost.

So - a red letter day and a gold star for me the energy spent, the courage found, for the big clear out. I feel a lot lighter for it too.



I am the page, the words, the pen
I am the verse, the rhyme, the poem
I am the flame, the ember, the ash,
I am remembered, reborn, rehashed.