Notes About The Poem

burning question

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The Questioning that Burns Both Ways

question burning, cries
answer me before I cool
urgency insists
quickness passes for wisdom
deep thought waits outside the door

paper catches fire
while we search for the answer
ash erases words
haste thins what truth might have said
the quick answer lies ill-formed

the hotter questions
leave far less time to answer
asking feeds the fire
burning time on more questions
until doubt devours the clock

fire lights up the words
bright enough for us to read
while it eats the page
what fire destroys can still speak
through embers buried in ash

time is not the clock
for time itself is the flame
it burns while we ask
what became of our answer
left in ashes asking why
Copyright © | Year Posted 2026

Poem

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Gibbons Avatar
September 5, 2026 at 11:53 AM
Great Tanka John loved the picture 📸 n music 🎶 makes it so much meaningful. I'm loving putting music to mine. Infact my " ocean dreamer" just added music 🎶 🎵 it so comes alive. Have gr8 weekend hugs
Anderson Avatar
September 5, 2026 at 12:04 PM
thanks very much. I love your poems/songs - definitely the way to go. Cheers
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