The campfire crackled,
Shocking, burn
And all my breaths were frosty
I took my mind behind to learn
Whatever the campfire told me

I stoked the flames
I poked the flames
The logs, they spoke, and 'lo
They told their ember and their names
And asked me what I'd like to know.

'I may teach you solitude.'
'I may teach you spite.'
'With me you shall never be alone.'
I saw but one give out pale light
And so I knelt before spark shown

'I may teach you learning
I may teach you teaching
With me you shall never be alone,
For when we are together reaching
Knowing, living love is thrown'

And there we sat and he took me
Dancing among the stars of hope
Our waltz, our gay jig, what it was
A golden cord, a golden rope
Wrapped 'round the stars of hope

They pulled together, planets born
Words written, bodies struck
No, not me, not I, please
I was too ready, took my luck
And spent it for my knowly ease

I left the fire, heady, heavy
Not so happy, not so ready
For I knew all, and I knew many
Telling me what life showed steady
Never taking pearl nor penny.

Wiser now and wiser still
My head hanged lower than the deep
And all my days were spent so cheap
For all I knew was weighted sleep
Knowledge should not fly, but creep.