H
e a r t S o n s & H e a r t D a u g h t e r s of A l l e n G i n s
b e r g
N
a p a l m H e a l t h S p a : R e p o r t 2 0 1 4 : A r c h i
v e s E d i t i o n
VIVIAN DEMUTH
A Holdover
––for
Eliot
Deep down in the roots,
an ember has been held
by burnt brush piles
of winter explorations
for oil’s carbon energy.
Deep inside,
the spark remains.
It glows like an eyeball
until over time
summer’s heat and
charged winds
ignite through the
roots,
sparks flare in the
air
in the blindness of night.
I awake at dawn in your arms
to the summer’s largest fire,
clouds of aromatic
smoke
emanate from
inside.
[Originally published in NHS 2008,
http://www.poetspath.com/napalm/nhs08/Vivian_Demuth.htm.]