Domestic Fires
sheets laundered, blankets aired
cotton setting makes a hot iron
and these old linens whisper
stories of grandmother, mother and me
Norsk hardanger on creamy homespun
blue and green cross-stitch on white
the stamp-printed hankies I bargained for in India
when ironing old linens
faces of women look out from the rising steam
laundry is an elemental action
reviving earth’s bounty with water and fire
cleansing the plant kin that wrap us
within our earth-harvested walls
all strung with ‘fire in waiting’
a spring in every bathroom
furnace fire stoked to hold winter out
while spark-fired fans call in air
remake the earthen bed
shake and smoothly fold
a pine green army blanket
used by Dad in his twenties
thick wool — my night blanket,
forest wrap, invisibility cloak
here is joy and philosophy
in the domestic
presence and flow in the domestic
sending gratitude to all beings
guiding steam and an admiring hand over warm textures
relishing dance and duty as one
Sacrificed for Fire
with green world guiding I follow fire
study what’s sacrificed
as fuel to its need
witness its death and rebirth
in threads drawn from a wall socket
turbines of wind and water
forced through portals
mines and siphons sunk in the Earth
life force pressed into service on every side
we are become our fears
hungry exploiters
sad insatiable ones
too, we are plants, potted and vulnerable
trying to thrive under grow-light alone
conditioned to separation and pain
parched yet restless
yearning and clamoring for free Earth
Laurie's Treehouse 