Thanks, John. I've never won an Oldie, so anything to improve the odds.
This one is definitely hard. I'm still not convinced that a bonfire and a compost heap have enough in common to converse meaningfully, so the assignment seems a bit contrived.
I'm wondering if this slightly expanded version (adding four lines) of what I just posted might work, or if I should just stick with the shorter one:
THE BONFIRE AND THE COMPOST HEAP
I'm hot.
I burn.
I roil.
I smoulder.
My heart's ablaze.
I rot.
I turn.
I spoil.
I moulder.
My heart decays.
You're slow.
I'm fast.
You go.
I last.