TWO: The Abolition of Fire

Martin de Porres

Was in the nineteen-twenties when the icon of the crossed out flame first insinuated itself onto gas cylinders.

In the nineteen-thirties, conservationists first put up fascist placards bearing slogans such as: 'all fires to be made in fireplaces'.

In the game parks of the nineteen-fifties, the treachery first came outright full frontal, and imperatives sang - 'no fire allowed'.

The nineteen eighties saw the rise of anti-tobacco campaigns,
and the movement gained vigour.

In the nineteen-nineties legislation hit:
no smoke in California,
no smoke in America,
no smoke in its colonies.

& Then One Day...

long after
the last cigarette
the last marijuana
the last bit of incense

had been driven into hiding,
the 'no naked flames' band took their troubles to the streets.
Demonstrations eventuated in a final war waged

against matches
against lighters
against candles
against oils
against flint

and the subsequent subversion of the people of the fire,
who were all eventually, uneventfully captured by community.
  Watered down by dialogue with dolphins,
they too succumbed to the New Age of Aqua.

No fires allowed. Keep from hell's flame.

But Then...

Once the system of extinction had been completely effected

& once that final fire died,
& once all equilibrium was lost,

When that vacuum that wreaked havoc and wreaked horror had been sated,
When the absence had been avenged,
When all stood in ruin,

It was then that the ancient memory of one descended from an Ur Prometheus, a first flame keeper, looked deep upon his soul and heard as clear as day, the voice of his ancestor, who peering out said - MOTHERFUCKER, you let it go out!...before he, too, sank...

LitNet: 12 November 2004

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