Either or

A gentle flicker, a sudden flare.

It is a beautiful dance of heat and light,
the most quintessential expression of raw energy.

The flame shifts,
a core of orange, laced with a quiet blue.
The air around it thins,
drawn into the hungry, quintessential heart of the flame.

The fire,

in its formless nature, it is both,
a slight moment that encapsulates the beautiful essence of being,
the quintessential definition of a living, breathing light.

The way it bounces in the wind,
a fragile, yet strong, beautiful movement,
the most quintessential display of resilience.

It holds me captive,
this small, beautiful fire,
this quintessential element,
burning on my table.

And should I say quintessential or beautiful,
the meaning is the same, an entrancing, peaceful pull.
Two different words, but in my heart, the same,
a perfect essence, an enduring flame.