black rock red lake

when I lie you think you see me
sleeping- but only I know
I'm a toppled volcano-
tipped sideways and breathing heavy
through lungs thick with ash,
lips held tight to keep
from spitting sparks-




Ah I'm afraid
to open my mouth for fear
the lava would spill over
spill
over
sideways spout like a long snake of blood, and pool
on my pillow and set my black mane ablaze
and I would rise with my eyes turned to cinder
and burn upwards in one long, searing flame


and you'd think me possessed
by the devil or God or some shuddering spirit;
avenging angel of light:
laughing to the skies with my hair whipping fire
and eyelashes ablaze
over eyes burnt out
over burnt out eyes


you see why I cannot rise? I cannot rise
for I would set this town on fire
swallow whole all these lies,


like a dragon
like a dragon
don't you see my breath sparks cinders
so I tried to breathe out from my ears
but that set my brain on fire-




So let me lie like a toppled volcano
that they think they brought down
let me close my eyes so they don't
see it rise, that black smoke over the town


O love o love I did not want
to burn this city down