FLARING

Daylight burns fastest at day's end
as sun sprints toward the western trees
and shadows stretch before they blend
while light spears shrink to a mere tease.

I think of this before the fire
as it blazes late at night,
how hottest flames quickly expire
once they've shed their brightest light.

Even combustion of decay
begins slowly but ends up fast
until it comes that final day
when wood crumbles into dust at last.

Little surprise we are the same,
we start out as a tiny spark
then live our lives as a bright flame
flaring before the final dark.