I felt the heat before I saw the flame
Subtle
A slight rise in temperature
A resulting misty sheen
A giggle and a couple glances
It builds
Boiling beneath the surface of skin
It becomes a secret place of whispered promises and quick yet increasingly longer embraces
Slowly as one lays the foundation and puts down the welcome mat
The heat brings forth a blazing red hot flame
All consuming, disastrous even
The arsonist was disguised by the charming comforting heat that he emitted
His fire seeps through the cracks reclaiming it all and leaving vivid blackened scars
In its wake lies missed opportunities, unsaid secrets and an air of contempt
The foundation crumbles as the scorched welcome mat is reduced to insignificant powdery ashes scattered by the passing breeze
And so it stood, a smoldering shell of what it had been
Its smoke concealed yet forever constant