The Fire People

We’ve turned our walks into finding things

that catch fire easily, like us

our fascination with bush craft—

how to survive in a forest

without the conveniences

we have at home

the first human to discover fire

rubbed two stones together

friction is a good thing.

we have fun starting fires

scratching the Mora knife against the small iron rod

sending sparks into a nest of dried grass and fibrous barks

you put out the flame with the sole of your hiking boot

so we can begin, again

by the time we leave the forest,

we’ve discovered deer poo combusts easily

human hair doesn’t

I’ve given a lock and you’ve won the bet

By the time we leave

we’ve lost count of the fires we’ve started.