Build a Fire

It’s January and it’s nippy
The icy wind slaps me, open handed
Cherry cheeks revealed
Extra layers turn my gait clumsy
No warmth can be felt from within
I want to build...
Fingers numb, toes tingle
Blood runs red to blue
My voice fragile, cracks a hello
I want to build...
Icicles hang in exclamation points
Windows webbed with frost
Steam spills over a ceramic lip; taunting the outdoor air
I want to build a fire
Hand cut wood
Day old newsprint
One strike to ignite…
An inner warmth forms
An outer glow flickers
Skin glistens with a fiery hue
Limbs free from the labor of bulk
Body washed with a smoky scent
Cleansed from floral fragrance, striped of conformity
Unified with originality

I built a fire...
and felt the warmth from within.

"Acid Tongue"--Jenny Lewis

"We built ourselves a fire..."