Flametongue

Tendrils

of fire

twist

and turn

grasping for air

are they like gossip

that consumes

the lives that fuel it

rumours of flame

feel their way around

the night surrounding

are they like the whispers of love

that breathe a flicker of hope

into a pair of empty eyes

what is it really

this livid orange storm

of words

what does it bring to those it touches

these crackling sparks

and wiggling tongues

do they rage with the muffled roar of a destroyer

or do they only offer the gentle heat of a bonfire under control