I remember feeling safe though I was small
The long wood panels of the floor creaked under my tiny feet
Humming the house’s hellos to me
The sunlight came in through the old glass windows
And I watched the cast shadows wave from the walls of our home
And I was in my bedroom when the smoke came down the hall
Like dark clouds billowing against the ceiling
I could see it through the glass pane on my door
Like watching an inverted hearth through a fireplace screen
I could see my parents rushing through the hall
They were all mighty gods with powers to control fire
To keep me safe
And while that fire was extinguished safely
Another continued to burn within me
An eternal flame I had carried into my conception
What power do such gods have here?
