Burning Birch

He loved birch trees. Every time she saw one or a cluster of them----she was reminded of him. He was hearty but fragile...like the birch. The fragile outer layers representing his vulnerability, weaknesses.....demons that haunted him. Inside, hard......resilient.
The trees were even depicted in a painting given to them for their wedding. As if someone already knew. Two young lovers walking hand in hand through the birch forest.

In the end she would hurt him. Break his heart one more time.....like those before her. They always ran away. He was a good man but far too easy to fool. A sad history, really, she thought. He was so undeserving of such pain.
Even after the divorce....when she would build a fire to warm her bones....she removed the birch from the wood pile, setting it aside. Ceremoniously.

She couldn't burn the birch wood. Not ever again.


                                                                                      CJ Ellis