for kate

I didn’t plan a prophecy when I first saw you.
Just wanted the whole world to feel your warmth.
I spent years folding clay into something like a soul,
But your sparks made shape from mud.
You crackle, even once, like a tambourine
And make even my quietest creations circle in song.

I do not come from a clan of moderation.
My bloodline is 60% cosmos and haste.
My kin bestow gifts like they’re scared their sacred flair will expire.
But you show me, even in rage, there’s a lit serenity.
When we explode, we take the oxygen we deserve.

Many will to ask you to code-switch to sunlight.
Please do not let them ashen your glow.
Sure, you both brighten and burn
But the sun can’t pin plumage to the phoenix
But the sun can’t squeeze oranges out of night
But the sun doesn’t scab away the messes Ares made,
Stitch scars from combusted fingers,
Make the pain of healing feel like a glimmer.

I fell in line more than history gave me credit for.
Only gambled on you because you were worth it.
You’re the poster child for courage.
This is not by accident.
I didn’t know what bravery looked like before you cauterized me,
Scorched me into an education in a color I couldn’t yet see.

Even chained by his command, I do not fear God.
For every day, I’m re-energized
Not by a new liver but by you.
This is not pain. It’s patience.
My innards shave a little more magnesium each day,
And smoke rises,
So when you’re ready for me,
Because I’ll always be ready for you,
Your blaze will be my freedom,
And together—
We’ll burn even the heavens to the ground.