Paper and the fire

Once there was a piece of paper
That flew into a flame
It leapt from the fire, shouting:
‘I am singed! I shall never be the same again!’
The poker replied:
‘Better to be burned by a lie
Than to believe it!’
The paper cried:
‘But what’s the point of me now!’
The hearth answered:
‘Better to feel the pain
Than be oblivious
While your spirit quietly burns.’