may the Indigenous Blood
bubble up
and remind the maize mxn
how to conjure with their gods
bless the hands
who strike the matches,
pour accelerant,
shore up the barriers
and incinerate the city’s waste.
keep them safe
from rogue flames.
be an extra layer
over the ever-watchful eyes,
the rough and toughened skin.
thicken beneath the soles
to ensure the feet can keep climbing
last evening
the wind threatened to send the blaze off course
air morphed into cinder
drove everyone indoors
as the Sun clocked out of its shift,
passed the timesheet to the Moon,
who knew the Bright needed privacy
to prepare for their dance.
the Light stepped off
its pedestal of praise,
not just for the day,
but for the week,
ceding the stage to other deities.