“Home Fires Burn”

Imagine my surprise when the first poem that I get published is called “Home Fires Burn.” I wrote this poem before my house burned down, but found out I was going to be a published author after the wildfire.

I’m grateful that so much of my work is about fire right now. I believe right relationship with fire is at the foundation of how we’re going to move forward as a state.

The poem was accepted for publication in the We Moon datebook. I have lovingly enjoyed organizing my life with the We Moon datebook for so many years. What an honor to be included in 2019’s edition! And the theme for this year is “Fanning the Flame” too!

Without further ado, here is my poem: “Home Fires Burn”

I am a fire keeper, a woman of the flame. I burn and I blaze; I incinerate, and I light up. My bones are infused with sparks; my marrow knows flint and friction. My arms carry woods from the forest: oak, manzanita, madrone, and redwoods that burn brilliant at my fireplace, where my fingers prepare tinder bundles from cattail duff, mugwort leaves, pine needles, and tree’s blood. My eyes shine with the light of thousands of suns, rising and setting as I bring fire into my body. I am joined by my fiery kin each time I tend my sacred flame, for my sisters and ancestors know the ways of the heat. Our cauldrons have bubbled with healing potions and nourishing traditions, our smudges have cleared the air and prepared us for ritual, and our campfires have drawn us together to warm our souls with community. By the light of the flickering reds and alive oranges, I feel myself ignited, my creative passions burning within to match my Hestia-honored hearth.

Published in “We’Moon 2019 Fanning the Flame”