I stand here

alone

beneath the blanket of storm clouds

roiling overhead

the wind blows

and carries with it the smoke

that rises from my charred skin

I fill my burnt-out lungs with air

fueling the fire

that rages inside me

around me lightning crackles

the currents jump through me

electricity caressing my veins

I wriggle my toes down into the dirt

send my roots deep within the earth

plant myself in this place

in time this fire will die down

and from the remnants 

of my smoldering soul

new life will grow again