RISING FROM A FALL

On slippery ground
I fell flat
Into muddy water
Soaked and drained
A cold wind blew
I shivered
Goose pimples
Covered my skin

Waking from slumber
The irony hit me, instead
It was a bush fire flickering
Fiery, flaming high
My clothes, untouched
The heat burnt my flesh
Eating deep into my mind

Looking down and up
I see people recoiling
From the ghost I become
Charred skeleton
Attracting detached pity
As well as condemnation
A judgment for the guilty
Deserving punitive penalty

Mock and laugh, if you may
My lessons are not yours
I needed to learn these things
A descent into the pit of hell
Where the elements play
In a chalice turned crucible
Crushing by pounding
To make me new again