William Keener
Making Fire

The man who talks to shamans,
who flies all night in his dreams,
finds a small bird on the ground,

a kinglet killed when it flew into
the windows of the classroom
where he teaches. He carries it

inside to share the secret that
he holds. Close enough to kiss
the bird, he parts the feathers

of its ashen head with his breath
—a ruby flash! and the crown
ignites, a hidden flame to start

the tiny heart, heat the muscles
of the olive-green wings until
it rises up the shaft of skylight

through a pane of frosted glass
into blue above, a lost bird
flying in the cradle of his hands.

<< return to the Table of Contents for New Series #4: Winter 2012, Volume 2 Number 2