fire of conflict

I have to remember
how
—why
I brought the matches

what you spun
———fed on us
———left me
————-skin stretched over memory

I thought change was natural
a chasm between idea
and the reality

remember this—–the matches—–the gasoline

between the motion and the act

Strike a match
Smell the powder
See the smoke

———–light kills the shadow

drop the flame
ignite

a flash——-a wisp of smoke

A440

a shriek of deliverance

epiphany: world is shrill
and steel
fragrant — foreign

I am the voice
of one crying in the wilderness

I know neither song
nor silence

I have hung my harp in the willow

seeking A

KRISTEN SMITH received a Bachelors of Arts in English at Mount Allison University and a Masters from Ryerson University. Her collection of poetry, Voices, was awarded the Graham Atlantic Writing Prize. Kristen participated in the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival in Fairbanks, Alaska. Also, she was selected as one of six poets internationally to participate in the Writing With Style program at the Banff Centre (Banff, AB). In both her creative and academic writing, Kristen explores themes of absence, belonging, community, and music. She is currently pursuing doctoral studies at York University. You can discover more about her work on her website, kristenasmith.com.