Set Fire To My Flesh Poem by Tim Vallie

Do not bury these old bones
Burn me while I'm fresh
Don't place me beneath cold stone
Set a flame unto my flesh
When dead and gone am I
The flames shall bring me home
Place two coins upon my eyes
For the old boatman Charon
Build the pyre high
That my God may find me swift
Let the smoke cover the sky
So my soul shan't stay adrift
Set fire to my flesh
And watch my soul take flight
Burn me while I'm fresh
Send me away in light
Don't place me in a coffin
Don't trap me in the ground
For when my God comes calling
I shall fly toward his sound
Set fire to my flesh
And watch my spirit soar
Burn me while I'm fresh
And watch the fire roar.