Cloudburst

The acupuncturist explains that you run hot / and I flush / with epiphany

You the steel kettle / rusting prematurely / thirsting to be poured into / only to rumble a boil so torrid / you yourself shriek unstoppable / unless touch should free you / of the flame you crave / how these wintered hands grew temperate to steam / your handle still reeling to shock a scorch upon a wilted herb / I know why you’ve never been into tea / add ice to everything /

/ Silver strands slip / to part from his ponytail /
/ he turns my way /
/ says /

/ I run so cold /

/ everything /

/ falls /

/ out /

/ body wasn’t warm enough /

/ to hold /

/ a thing /

/ in /

But I learned recently that most raindrops begin their journey into sky /as ice/ /Snowflake/ we work so hard to marvel after before they flurry /into blizzard/
or melt before our eyes get the chance to meet something /so singularly unique/
and a snowflake / is only a snowflake /
while it’s falling / is that right? /

I wonder if I gave up the option of cloud-hood for fear I could never harness crystals /
/ whole / through the heat of this earth /
I count how many times I’ve reincarnated / into frozen /
intact until I melt into someone’s air / the patience I’ve enlisted building myself / back up/

/ upon dust / to be evaporated once again with /hope/still/that this time/ someone might keep /holding me/

I consider how many times I’ve asked the same of my body / / to stay cool / despite her globe ever warming /
to never-mind the burn of her own sun /
and still / to try again/
at life.

Written by Kimberly Fela