Born a common spark
baby tongue creeps, crawls
nibbles grasses, needles, twigs.
Lambent cub
egged on by wind.
runs and leaps, laughs and licks.
Hungry adolescent hunts
smorgasbord of pine, hemlock, fir
belches plumes of caustic smoke.
Suffocating scent
stampedes forest creatures
to the glittering river
sends wild-eyed homeowners in 4x4s
loaded with papers, photos, pets
slithering from his pounce.
He is king of the heat now
dancing on the forest crown
swishing his tail on the summit.
Buzzing dragonflies spit
bucket after bucket of pink water.
Under his gauzy skin, beast continues to binge.
Only heaven’s tears carry the clout
to say Enough, to stop the treason.
Still he plots, smoldering in caves of blackened roots.
Copyright©2009 by Violet Nesdoly
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Violet Nesdoly 