Cecilia Martinez-Gil

An unusual fire invited me
on the morning of my birthday
to submerge my grief into its wealth of blazes.

I walked emptied and worthless into its febrile wholeness
the threads of my skin crumbling the ashes I began to become
spread unevenly over dealt cards of death and wild cards of life.

Snatching one of her feathers
my goddess swept me into a circle outlined by her beak
and sat on the ashes I was,
my goddess chanting
hatching
warming the myriad of shades of gray of my remains.

Harassing winds tempted my goddess,
compelled her to go away
and when the rain assaulted her she unfurled her wings
turning into an umbrella
while I began to link
dry powder to marine rock.

Then,
the heat started,
intense warmth of sharp arrows rocketed from the sky
heat in the sweat drops sliding from the temples of working men and women
abrasive heat of lovers jolting their bodies and their beds
steaming heat from boiling pots in the kitchens
heat with and without fire
heat with sparkles ignited by the stars, dazzling dust inspiring to become
living heat
thirsty heat
voracious
heat

awakening heat

awakening
me.