"Tyger, tyger..."

You ever see a roaring bonfire get snuffed out by mild, misty rain? It's an amazing sight, a poetic testament to nature's power.
It sucks when it's a metaphor for human interaction. C'mon, you know what I'm talking about. You've seen the flames, we all have. The skin burns, the eyes glow, all you can smell is fire and smoke and the sweet knowledge that you may be eaten alive by heat and you don't care.
And then, out of nowhere, the rain comes. At first it is barely noticeable. Maybe a little water on the forehead while you are engulfed in your fire. But then, you get a little chilly, things are wet and suddenly your inferno that could have called the devil up from hell is hissing and popping under the suffocating weight of water. Little droplets that, as individuals, are useless in dousing the flames, but as a collective, could put out a drum of gasoline.
And so the hiss, pop, crack, ssss is on its way. I can feel it. And I bet you know what what I'm talking about here, too.
The fizzle begins with noticing things, little things that you were too busy to see while lusting your way into oblivion on the surface of the sun.
Just little epiphanies at first.
"Huh, I'm always the one doing the initiating." Or, "Huh, that's weird, we've really never been out in public except that one time," or, and this is my personal favorite because you can see the mist turning into big fat rain drops, "Huh, I wonder if I'm not the only one in his fire."
And that's where it all begins. Of course, all of this wondering and hissing could be abated if basic questions were asked and answered honestly, but when was the last time that happened? Questions like: "So, um, do you even like me?" Or, "How come you never ask me to do anything?" or, and this has several applications, "How was that?"
And so, if you can't ask these questions then you certainly can't drop bombs like "Are you, um, seeing other people, too?" or "Is there something about the combination of me and the sun that you don't like?" or "Hey, what color are my eyes, man?"
And this is why I am a big fan of communication. I'm not a very good practitioner, but I think it's time to start asking some questions and to get ready for answers.
Or just get burned up before I even give a sh*t, but it's already too late for that. Damn.