HEAT
And sun said,
let there be fire
and there was fire.
And the fire said,
let there be wind.
and the wind was throbbing
and the beast of the flames
pulled taut over the hills,
said naught to the chaparral,
and nil to the coyote.
And the coyote ran.
And the rabbits ran.
And the deer
and the rattlesnake
and the quail ran.
And the wind
sprang from its kiln
and tongue-licked the eaves
and the rafters
and the roof.
And the smoke
was air and the air
was smoke.
The air was our bodies.
It was the shadows
against the sky.
—from Poets Respond
July 8, 2019
__________
Ruth Bavetta: “Fire season has started with a bang this week.” (web)
