Dedicated to Valley Fire, County of Lake, 2015    


                                                 Alchemical Fire

                                     A great chasm left by the purge of fire
                                          Black char of wealth burnt crisp:

                             Crisp as a cold snow wind-digging into raw skin

                             Crisp as the sound as you take a bite from a newly spawned apple
                               drawing saliva to digest the harvest of a generational expanse,
                               splendid in its many forms birthed in divine flow,
                               blessed in community, and forged with love and respect.

                            Crisp as a new dawn morning, opening to a new generation giving
                                                 forth completion to the old traditions, transforming all life.

                         A harsh wind evokes the sound of fire snapping, besieged by the smell of burnt earth.

                                 Deep into the stillness of the night, embers of sacred gold glow.