Warm

A New God

"the fire is 'Tess', or so goes the song;
but I had forgotten that tending her
was a form of religion, requiring more
focus of attention than time spend on
prayer and supplication for my spirit.

We have a Corn Stove -- marvelous invention,
without the roaring fury of ancient Bal,
but a quiet warm of seething passion.
Of course, someone must fill the hopper
twice a day, and turn the klinker out,
a process of much bowing and ritual
and timing of offerings, and patient trust.

Actually, the process is much akin
to forming a community or business venture.
First must come a foundation of faithful followers --
too many and the 'fire in the belly' is smothered.
Next comes some social excitement from an external source,
with members coaxed to play close attention with whispers.
Then a few more members are added carefully
until a critical mass is reached and the group
becomes self sustaining -- for a little while,
with a gentle rain of gold and gusty breeze.

Of course, the old burnt ideas and rules
have to be thrown out or the passion dies;
and one must watch for special interest groups,
which clump together and do not share enough
to sustain the community vitality; but this is solved
by scattering the disruptive elements about
within the community at large.

All in all, 'tis a wondrous thing to behold;
and having our entire day's schedule
direct by a petulant minor deity
is perhaps not too great a price to pay,
for four pets asleep in a circle,
and m'lady snuggled in a nearby chair.