What Happens Next
On the last fire of the season, and new things
The last fire in the wood stove
of the season, these coals orange and alive,
you and I sit in the basement reading,
writing, while above us chaos and not-yet-
sent-to-bed children scurry like
mice in a bakery with free rein.
The flames demand air, a quiet roar,
and the wood crackles and spits against
the grate. It would es…