FIRE AND ICE

mentally snowbound in this solitary room of one,
lost inside and searching, longing
for relief from the throes of an internal winter
that has been foisted upon this heart.

the cold goes through me, chilling me,
the ice that has formed on my soul
hampers my emotions, killing me
with a slow and painful reality.

for years these chill blains
have rattled my bones and left me
wanting for a chance to defrost myself
to find a heart still beating.

this frostbite is relentless.
tearing me apart with every moment passing.
in its apathy
I find myself cold and alone.

cold and alone, until thoughts of an ember bright
illuminates my being and cautiously finds the soul
left slumbering, shivering,
yearning for the spark to burn uncontrolled.

this warmth penetrates me,
gradually soothing me and finding
a willing and wanting heart that can feel again,
heating me with a fire that smolders.

I sense your flame in my familiar hearth,
opened wide with arms embracing,
and glowing incredibly, tendrils of flame
the color of your warmth; the color of you.

this fire consumes my heart
completely and deliberately, seeking the connection
to be shared for a lifetime,
and kept lit by the oxygen of a single breath. Ours.

the ice is releasing me from its grip
as the fire that is you, replaces its hold
with a warm and loving caress,
and easing my mind to think loving thoughts only.

this yearning searches for a fire that
will kindle a fire of my own
and spark another wave of brilliance.
looks like I’m just warming up.




“JUST GETTING WARMED UP” – ESPN Magazine