Fire
06/04/2020
In the slate-black
fire-box
Yesterday's news comes
alight
The fireman nurses the
flames
Flames tickle sticks
Brittle sticks kindle
little coals
Folded in on itself
The infant glow is
unaware
Of the urgent duty it
will soon perform
Fire fire burning
bright
In the oven set alight
A raging tiger in the
night
Flames like birds of
paradise
Waving their frondy
tails
Like birds of paradise
Bursting into bloom
The driver moves the
brake handle
The stoker curves his
back
Feeding coal from the
tender
On his shovel's long
iron tongue
Into the gaping greedy
mouth
Of the engine's
furnace
The fire grins back in
gratitude
That it can make the
steam
To push the piston
To thrust the
connecting rods
To turn the driving
wheels
That propel the engine
That pulls the carriages
100 miles from home.