afire they emerge
flares of apricot and apple and corn yellow
taste earth from where they erupt
flames drip through their fingertips
shooting stars of heat bleed against slate sky
earth sings in all her glory
finally birthed anew
from ground up they transcend into sky
arms splay out wide to
accept all that is to come
wind begins to dance and
brown leaves take flight
spin and tumble over one another
twirl to meet shooting stars and
return to their chartreuse state
flames no longer eat dirt but
shroud them
emanate them
encompass them
emit them
omit them
never has earth burned
an emerald gem dazzling as day she stands
still untouched untarnished
without mar or scar
but replenished and
renourished
unbeknownst to most
fire is actually cleansing
did you know that a forest must burn to be free?
so that it did
stars burst from trees
birds flock a-troposphere
midnight wings beat against mineral gloom
fog smoked clouds cling in air
together
one mind one spirit
they burned and burned
they blazed and blazed
they glared and gleamed
a conflagration of suns
did you know the sun is the brightest star?
but on this day it does not shine
Originally from Jamaica, Brianna Brown is a student at Barnard College, where they’re majoring in Environment and Sustainability. Read more of their poems here.
