I built a fire and enjoyed its glow one spring evening.
The coals, bright and red, mesmerized me in the dusk.
After a while, I replenished the fire with a fresh log,
Which caught quickly and augmented the flame.
Twice I refueled, giving me an abundance of reflection time.

I observed the logs being consumed,
And I pondered how life is similar.
We are consumed, like a log,
To provide what is needed in this world.
We go to work each day,
And we are consumed.
We provide for our family,
And we are consumed.
We meet needs of others,
And we are consumed.

We are different from logs, however.
Unlike a log, we regenerate,
Preparing to be consumed the next day
For the betterment of society,
For ourselves,
For our family,
And for our business.

Yet every day, a small amount of us is permanently consumed,
Not to be replaced,
Until finally, after many years,
There remains nothing left to burn.

Hopefully, there remains in us enough life to enjoy.
If not, we simply fade into ashes like the finally-consumed log.