The Fire Season Poem by Barry Middleton

the season of fire is coming
from April to well into June
the sun stares down from the blue
darkness stares down from the moon

the sky is a cloudless sea
the meadows and forests are dry
the omen is palpable
the wind only breathes a sigh

a careless spark in the swampland
from gods or the hand of man
and the Florida prairies are burning
as if this were part of the plan

when the rains of the summer return
the green will burst forth again
as the heavens deliver a flood
and the smoke disappears on the wind

the cycle of time never ends
though the planets collide out in space
the essence of life is a blessing
as its ashes conceal hope and grace