July 4, 2019Poem
Warm yourself
lossgriefmusicpoliticsmemorytime
Warm yourself
Sit by the fire
Listen to the rattle
Of pots and pans
As old bones settle
Lose yourself in flame
Purifying ragged thoughts
Easing the flow of blood
Arresting the rampage
Ancient vessels
Expand in relaxation
The pain of movement
Replaced
By the ache of living
At rest
The mind still moves
Trying to keep pace
With its own passage
Holding steady
Creating equilibrium
As the fire breathes
The life out of you
It is a slow death
Even in comfort
The inferno burns
Through
From the inside out
Sometimes
The sound of a kettle
Boiling on a hot plate
Brings release
From what was
Once sought
As flames dance
Dante is no closer
To understanding
His purpose
Than you
And the circle
Is as yet incomplete.