Flashback (August 1999): The Fire that Burns Inside

Sometimes, when I see you,
I want to hold you forever in my arms;
To give love,
and to be loved,
are the only ideas my mind can comprehend.
But other times
when I see you,
I am almost afraid to touch,
afraid that the spark that follows
may engulf me in flames.
It is then
that I just watch,
and explore your world
as you exhale,
the smoke streaming from your lungs
the only sign
of the fire that burns inside.