Controlled Burn

A winter’s age spent

In avid agonizing atrophy

Now I dust off

The sagging coat

Hanging from my

Meager frame

Cast a drooping arm

O’er the crutch I keep

To aid my journey to the top

Still, I stumble opening the door

༄↟𖠰𓀗

Light stings dilated eyes

Good arm thrown up

A poorly executed defense

Nearly collapsing in retreat

I clutch at the darkened vestiges

Of a life, long-lost

Trying and failing to

Blanket myself in the

Cold comfort of oblivion

˗ˏˋ ҉ ˎˊ˗

I must rise, press forward,

Following the perpetually paved path

A chore to walk

Though nothing impedes

The avenue or my line of view

I must trudge on

Despite fatigue and misery

Until a minor fissure

Causes dragging feet to

Stumble momentarily

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ 🏞 𓂃 𓈒𓏸‪‪

It seems again I can not

Continue upright

Lightning pains jolt

Skin and bone

Tears pour from eyes

Red-rimmed and tired

Dam busted

Soaking parched skin

Crystal trails, dried remains

Briney rivers now

Crusting and flaking away

Replaced with sparks that

Dance and play

⛆.𖢻 ݁ ˖

I try to break and run

Only limping away in fear

Unaccustomed

To the feeling of warmth

Until I catch

Blazing

Fueled with oxygen

Scalded through and through

An unbearable heat on my extremities

Until the fire builds

Igniting my heart

Exploding in my chest

Transformative passion incinerates

Fear ashing in place like a cigarette

⊹₊🔥⋆｡°✩

A thirsty wick I draw

Inspiration from the ground

With each emboldened step

every blasting breath

Once sallow, skeletal, scarified flesh

Fills out glowing and immaculate

˗ˏˋ❤️‍🔥ˎˊ˗

I consummate a new future

Strength grows black and red

Crowned with a fertile

Sprouting dahlia patch

I forge ahead

A flaming beacon of rejuvenation

Dedication to forward motion

No dousing rain could

Smother or quench my spree

I blaze my way, a streak of

Orange light

Doggedly stay the course

Completion, my obsessive fight

Blinders of eddying smoke

ᯅ⋆ᨒᯅ

Discarding the

Worthless charred remains of

That puny support I no longer need

Face encrusted with pearly beads

Apex finally discovered

Off like a flaming shot with perfect aim

Ignited like the Olympic flame

The target-- struck

My whipping flag-- stuck

Marking the peak

☼𓂃ᨒ 🏳

Only one choice remains

To collapse, rolling violently

A fleshy, mangled, flaming heap

Or slowly meander down

A torch with purpose, illuminating

Enjoying the view

In a way I was unable

On my frantic, flaming ascent

K.B. Silver