By Loreal Barker-Brown


~one or two things come from a fire,

if you feel really real, it defines you further, or burns
away any false pretense, but also

a fire hurts, it scorches your definition of

good. where did you go,
you ask

of your things, your people. you wonder how you
can get 

up from a fire, well sometimes it takes years
for the new
green to show itself, like a firefly, bottle green,

here a little shoot, a little sprig… a kiss on the cheek,
from your eyes to water

the new, new place you have made after the
fire. & your spirit now firefly & bottle green 


begins to see, nothing is

unquenchable, not you
& not the fire.~

-L