Fireside Stories

I remember a boy child who thrilled to hear dark ghost stories Told around a crackling fire circle of faces looking imaging down heavy lidded in toward suggestive face drawn shadows warming late night glowing light. Outdoor cold wildness exciting safely distant terrors experienced vicariously around this goosebumping circle of starlit trembling bliss Safety, sustained light of humane encircling comfort, shadowing resilient powers of divinely demented health care despair Devoid, for this evening's moment of ghosting cathartic fears behind mythic morbid stories avoiding bad guy or sad girl creepy nighttime visions. I wonder, now reflecting later peak experiences, if a sequel love story of young romance between a boy and girl, A passionate embrace erasing space in-between a boy and boy, A forgiving grace for unconditioned regard between two girls who would not think to touch without a grateful kiss, Might these have been a warmer loving way to send us off into cold sleeping bags at end of camping day anticipating dreams of tender touching terror.