The Snowman Writes About the Fireman

SNOWMAN WRITES ABOUT THE FIREMAN


Before the fire, before
the torch and the butane lighter,
before central heating and bonfires
and burning witches, there was the Fireman
who once had a refrigerator in his gut.
That's when he went to the gods
and asked for fire.

“No,” they said. “First you must suffer.”
So the Fireman went to the devil and said,
“Please, sir, I’m here to suffer,
so that I may have fire.”
“I remind you that fire changes things,”
said the devil. “Go see the alchemist.”
So the Fireman went to the alchemist and said,
“Please, sir, I’m here to be changed,
so that I may have fire.”
“I remind you that fire cleanses things,”
said the alchemist. “Go see the priest.”
So the Fireman went to see the priest and said,
“Please, sir, I’m here to be cleansed,
so that I may have fire.”
“I remind you that fire makes things,”
said the priest. “Go see the welder.”
So the Fireman went to see the welder and said,
“Please, sir, I’m here to be made,
so that I may have fire.”
And so the welder made him with fire.
When he was done, he said,
“That will cost you an eye.”
And so a vulture came and plucked out his left eye.
Before sending the Fireman off with his fire,
the welder said,
“My name is the gods. Don’t tell anybody.”
“Okay,” said the Fireman, but when he got home,
he wrote all about it
in poems about a snowman.


Richard Smyth

Posted over on Anabiosis Press