fire

in the black coal night
the universe spies on us.
white light pricks the sky.

smoke on the water.
smoke in the air thick as soup.
songs to suffocate.

through all the seconds
galaxies born and dying.
lives burning up days.

the horrors we’ve seen.
bleached white bone the velvet blood.
clotted scream and moan.

what of peaceful men
that send the young boys to war?
vultures red of beak.

dog days of summer
leashed to orion’s hot belt.
panting for autumn.