Fire Bones
The corpse on the hearth
knows the system
of a fire. From the
thin branch wrists
flame fingers tickle air
fire hair streams
up in smoky wind
amber gold;
nothing so alive as fire
till it licks up all the dead that
it can burn.
Only beyond the room
sometimes
twilight ejaculates
a great arc that driving downwards
burns the world
before it dies;
earth eats storm
at tree's crown,
the fine full head catches
the skin splits
from top to root
and system
alters system
forever.
~April 2013
Hover mouse for image attribution, or click on pic to go to photographer's flick'r page.
fabulous! every word.
ReplyDeleteThis is a lot for my early morning senses to claim. It reminds me of our year-end bonfires where we burn what is left of the xmas trees. I stand in awe at the power of fire, changing things indefinitely. I enjoy your intense and bold imagery.
ReplyDeleteAblaze with fantastic and unique imagery....."and system alters system forever". Wow.
ReplyDeleteoh i like that ending, all systems go! alert! alert!
ReplyDeleteok that is a wicked crazy picture...and what an intriguing second half of this....i love a good fire though....the sounds and watching t consume....there are a few systems i would not mind if it did consume, you know...smiles....
ReplyDeleteThe awesome might of Mother Nature, lest we uppities forget who is really in charge here.
ReplyDeleteWonderful wonderful - especially love the fire licking up dead. k
ReplyDeleteI do love a good fire, in the right place of course. And I love lightening storms too, but you bring a whole new and different way of looking at them. I really like the lines:
ReplyDeletenothing so alive as fire
till it licks up all the dead that
it can burn.
And also you closing stanza. Very cool...er, good.
There is something inexorable about this, it feels like something fated and final.
ReplyDeleteWhere do you come up with poems like this one? You have an utterly unique and marvelous poetic imagination, Joy.