Woke up
on fire
from some fiery
head-noise.
Outside high wind
and are those
crackling sounds at
foot of bed?
This is how my mind says
blaze, boy; bad boy;
get up smoldering, flare
with penance before punishment
alone in darkness with your
history; only freed up enough
to feel an all over diabolical
regret that scratching can’t help.
Later this morning when
I’ll be crossing town
to get on the highway north
to work, there will be
sunrise to my right
and windows
in downtown buildings
gone red to my left.
I thought sunrise
was supposed
to make my city look lovely
or some similar expected way
but I know I will be thinking
of nothing but unholy fire
I lived through last night,
heart and brain scorched
open; I understand I will
never heal at all. I know the song
by heart: Bad boy, blaze boy;
this is where you live now.
