she held a candle in her hand at night because
it was the only light she had and she
watched it whip and flicker
behind the door she kept locked and
wouldn’t answer
even when they knocked
she’d sit staring at that candle
holding it close til it almost burned her face
whispering incandescence
–
dreamt of a field of flowers burnt to ash
candelabras
sprouting through loose soil sterling silver stems
phallic paraffin blooms
pollinated as passing fireflies propped themselves
upon eager wicks
dousing them in flame
–
in her mind the field erupted
a brilliant spectacle multicolored light-show
fire she wished to be
consumed by
wax turning flesh
melting
–
she had wings
crafted from the wax she saved melted down
covered her arms layered with down from her cot
set off in night to kiss the sun
but she
hasn’t found it yet