Breeze-Free Beat [Tanka]

the eternal flame
lunges this way and that;
then -- for an instant --
it stands symmetrically:
only one breeze-free beat.

World Writ Minimalist [Kyōka]

sunrise paints the haze
the color of campfire flames,
and nothing looks real,
but rather like a painting
by an artist, skilled & lazy.

Spark in the Dark [Free Verse]

Through the inky night,
 flies an orange spark.

And then there's darkness
 once more.

And then a spray of sparks
 arc through the dark.

And then there's darkness
 once more.

And then there is a flame,
 and darkness is held at bay...
  tentatively.

Flame Dance [Haiku]

saffron-tinged leaves
languidly wobble to mimic
the dance of flame

Flameless Flame [Free Verse]

walking through a darkened temple,
a jagged hole perfectly aligns;
 the kinked white-light washing inward
becomes a shimmering flame,
topping a stone pillar, 
becoming a faux candle
in my shimmering mind

Smoke & Fire [Common Meter]

The spastic flame that dances fast:
too weird to match to drum.
The teary eye strays into trance
as if deadened by rum.

Where will the flame transport us now
that smoke has made us cry?
Where will the cracking sounds take us
as we turn to the sky?

The moon is out and casts a glow,
a glow of milky white.
And each dim point of starlight burns
trillions of times as bright
as that feeble, little campfire 
that rules what I now feel:
the heat, the smoke, the popping sounds
that now make my head reel.

Field of Flames [Haiku]

row on row of flames
lick and shimmer, as minds
attempt stillness

Flame Mind [Common Meter]

His eyes take in the dancing flame
until his mind is flame.
He anticipates its flutter,
its flareups, just the same.

There's nothing in his mind or eye
that is not set ablaze.
He knows not whether it's been like
this for hours, weeks, or days.

Others think it will devour him,
leaving a pile of ash,
taking him from this world at once,
in one big, blinding flash.