As They Crackle and Scream

 —Poetry by Lynn White, 

Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales
—Public Domain Photos

 

 

FIRE

The fire has spread
from the mountain
to the shore,
from the cities
to the ruins of cities
burning
burning
burning
and it will catch you,
however far you run,
however fast you run
away

Death is running faster.
Soon only the dead
can stay.

Now even the sea is flaming
as oil burns in the water
burning
burning
burning
and however fast you sail,
however far you row
away

Death is moving faster.
Soon only the dead
will stay.



(First published in Gorko Gazette, December 2024)

 

 

 

 



FEED THE FLAMES


Gather round
the hearth
it’s a cosy place
if the fire is burning
and we’ll keep it burning
never fear
the flames
flickering
dancing
alight
alive,
a living fire.
Gather round,
we’ll keep it burning
the home fire
watch
closely
let yourself
be hypnotised
bewitched
be mesmerised
by the flickering flames,
waving and dancing.
Listen to them
as they crackle
and scream
as a living fire must.
Gather round,
never fear
only
feed the flames.



(First published in Truly Unique, October 2019)

 

 

 

 


THE DAY THE SUN BURNED


The sun is burning
molten
falling to earth little by little
Turning the sea to fire first.
The land will be next,
forest and desert,
mountains and plains
flaming.
It’s falling little by little
like blown glass
melting
It looks like a bright angel now
but the angels have burned
and this final fire
will pipe
the last post
as it crashes and burns
leaving nothing,
but darkness
when the fires burn
out
and the light
melts away.


(First published in Red Planet, 2020)

 

 

 

 

MELTING


The rock looms large above me,
the petrified remains of the last time the sun burned
in the time of giants.
Giant rocks and giant creatures fused together
in the fire.
Look!
There's one with a long nose!
Or maybe it's a beak.
And there's a human molar,
surely.

And here I stand now,
on my tiny rock.
Now I'm lit by moonlight,
but soon the sun will rise
and consume us,
fuse us together
and we are both so small,
I am not sure anything will remain
after.


(First published in Visual Verse, December 2016)

 

 

 

BURNING UP

The sun has risen
and it’s burning,
burning up
everything.
And I’m raising my arms
to worship
or plead.
Not sure which.
Praise or prayer,
perhaps they’re the same.

That’s my thought
for the day.
Quite profound,
I think,
for the day when I’m sure
I’ll be going home.
What do you think?
Are we of the same mind?
Great minds thinking alike again.

Come, it’s time
to go.
Hold my hand.



(First published in I Become the Beast, Spring 2023)


___________________

Today’s LittleNip:

EVEN BABIES ARE BURNING
—Lynn White


We have to save the planet
so we can’t burn coal.

But in Gaza babies are burning.

We have to save the planet
so we can’t burn oil.

But in Gaza babies are burning.

We have to save the planet
so we can’t burn gas.

But in Gaza babies are burning.

We have to save the planet
so we can’t burn plastic.

But in Gaza babies are burning.

The forests are burning

but

in Gaza even babies are burning.


__________________

—Medusa, with thanks to Lynn White for today’s fine poetry. California is all about fire these days~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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