By turns playful, challenging, and devious, smoke boasts of the ways it has helped human civilization advance: coaxing seeds to sprout; driving out termites and rodents; sending signals over long distances; preserving and flavoring foods; soothing bees; mixing medicines; aiding religious ceremonies. But smoke tells us that it can also cause harm and will never be tamed. Smoke has been borne aloft from flames, and its elements returned to earth, since before recorded time; its cycles never end.
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