The fire festival

I'm reading a book about zen. Its called zen mind beginners mind. I'm
in the park while I'm reading it. It talks about the zen artists, and
which ones got really good at form and traditional zen art work. There
were key periods of time when certain artists excelled in their craft.

I'm lighting a fire in the park, a small one to celebrate one of the
fire festivals. I have to put my book down to control the fire.
Everything is so dry that things are catching fire remarkably easy.
Maria phones me and I have to tell her to ring me back as I'm too busy
controlling this fire and stopping it from spreading.

There is a strong breeze blowing which is causing the flames to spread
really fast. When I eventually get my small fire under control, I meet
my dad. He is talking about growing plants. I ask him what he will be
up to today, and he tells me it is Burns night, so he will be drinking
whiskey and reading poetry.

I thought it was Beltaine (or was it Imbolc) , anyway, there's going
to be a gathering in the park and I go to join the celebraters.

The guy who wrote the zen book has turned up to join in the
celebrations. He turns out to be a tantra master as well as a zen
master. He has made some really beautiful yantra style murals in
bright colors, oranges and reds and golds. He wants me to copy his
drawings, to teach me how to draw in this traditional style. I try to
make a copy of what he has done, but he is very particular about the
spacing between the lines, and getting the forms precise, which I have
not done.

There are 2 guys dressed in costumes who are enacting a battle, one
dressed in red, the other in green, fighting for the hand of the
goddess. The goddess is dressed in white and sits calmly at the side,
watching the two warriors fight it out.  (I think It must be
beltaine).

When they reach the finale of their battle, (which will lead to the
victor kissing the goddess!) fire works in the distance over on the
hill of crookes go off. They look very pretty at first. They light up
the sky (even though its day time) and at a certain special timing to
this mythical battle and celebration.

The fire works on the hill get bigger and louder. They seem to be
coming from a tall and wide tree (like a sycamore tree). They get
brighter and brighter and catch fire to the trees next door, along the
horizon. Now everyone has stopped their celebrations to watch the fire
works on the hill. We watch them go out of control.

They spread from tree to tree, getting bigger and bigger, until they
catch fire to the Arts tower. Now the arts tower goes up in flames and
the whole sky fills with black smoke blotting out the sun. Shadows,
ash and explosions fill the air. Everyone retreats to safety in their
houses.

I go back home, and feel safe now I'm inside. I notice that mum has
redecorated the kitchen with bright colours, oranges, golds and reds.
I like it. It feels like it expresses more of how I feel and makes me
feel more comfortable. Fire engines can be heard in the background.

Out side I can see the whole hill side of crookes and walkley is on fire.
-
In a few days, when the fire is out, I go up to the allotments. I meet
paul up there. I see the charred remains of tall trees, stumps and
skeletons remaining. Another lad is heading to the allotments, spade
in hand. Paul runs faster than him. I show paul when I have been
thoroughly digging over a patch of ground.

Time to start all over again.