Aftermath

When my world

burns down around me

I take the cold ash

and crush it

between my fingers and thumb

I roll it in my upturned palm-

a shaking hand whisking

back and forth

for the empty beliefs

that landed as thoughts

and manifested action

which led to this inferno

I empty, seeing black dust stains

stick to skin

as a reminder

of creative destruction

I bend

to the ashen rubble

on the earth

and know that only

sun

and water

and time

will promise change

I call the new shoots

to unfurl.