Tempered

In deaf hibernation
Amidst a stunning collapse
Coughed into existence
By the breath of the hollow

It was to be nature’s theatre
The splendor of the gods
Bestowing the gift
Of hearth and dance

The surface cracks
Giving way
To serpentine form

Persistence may be
The greatest strength
Of living things

Writhing through the ashen crypt

The fibers ripple
Attuned and alive
Untouched by the poison
Of malintention
They scatter like serpents
Across the blighted refuse
And blot the light from the sky

Can one take refuge in dissolution?
My many faces prove to be superficial

In my gut I feel the leash
A disturbance tugging me
Into newness, grief, and awe

Perceptive and enlightened; Alive
The delicate insight of new eyes