Burning

What is this feeling I have inside,
this strong desire I can not hide,
this burning ache which flames the heart.
and consumes the body's every part?

What is it that causes it to grow
and stokes its fire from down below?
Fiery embers, hot to touch,
while the heat itself consumes so much.

Ignited once by just a spark
and now a bonfire in the dark.
What is it? What is the role
that it plays in heart and soul?

A thirst in me I can not quench,
fixed so tight I can not wrench
it from myself, its grip so tight
I should just give up the fight.

For I no longer can resist
and were it gone, it would be missed.
So much am I under its spell,
to live without it would be Hell.

Strong and powerful, its hold on me,
and shows itself for all to see
in what I do and what I say
because I feel a certain way.

Although powerless, I know the source
of this fire which burns with force.
Look inside me, and you will view
the flames of Love which burn for you.

Paul Allen Rice