Kit Kelen #1425 - waiting for the fires

1425

waiting for the fires

after Cavafy

why bother dusting?

       watering flowers?

to static foretelling radios falter

why read a book when leaves turn to flame?

be merry, for tomorrow – hell

shall I plant the parsley?

shall I plant a tree?

why anything when maybe?

we’ll need trees when the fire’s done

because there are these predicted

out of control, being controlled

fire consumes the map

and country

mortgages and rent

beyond the black stump

a fire is its own insurance

shadows march in the cave

things precious to it

can we feed crumbs?

down fire

I gift this beautiful tree

old shed, no one needs

may we make offering?

chickens the right colour

so we mock the deniers of fire

make mirth

let’s trip them

laugh

tie knots

be merry

make hay to burn

all hail

beautiful beautiful

thus this oration

why yoga

when I will be ash?

hear the singing in among

all ideas in the cloud

we’re the tribe who are ready

always packed and ready to go

make circles of this

no country to return

though

after and there’s nothing to burn

we ornament to ogle it

gorgeous raiment gone

of course ukuleles

how well pianos burn, guitars

love is itself a kind of fire

like a truth the bones show through

it licks but not to taste

we will present our reasons to fire

wind brings it

and the breeze too goes

taller than we stand

our offerings are meaning, art

and sentiment and taste

no, rain is a procession

keep it in a tank, a hose

the order of things out

birds above it thermalling

catch orange of the sun

brief visit, will it be announced?

every question burns

sudden as the news

fire makes its own weather

gold survives it, stars

this ripens past the fruit

and prayer

will we be spared?

take the neighbours

take the town

some think of fire as the answer

perhaps it will not come