Throughout the long course of our life

Fires sometimes arise which cause strife

But some of them have a way of going out

And turning to dying embers as they rout



Whether one douses them with very much water

Or even ignores them as you shouldn't oughta

They do indeed have a way of eventually expiring

For once they get down to the bottom of it, tiring



There is no more fuel for the flames to catch onto

And only so much of the remaining debris will go

On burning after it's turned completely to charcoal

For once it's that state, it's nearly dust thru all



And when you look carefully at a huge pile of dust

You know it has no substance at all ... for it must

Be prepared to blow away at the very slightest gust

And when it does, there is not anything at all left 

                                         to show us.



- Tristram