in response to Robert Frost, “Fire and Ice”

for all that fire

is beautiful

to the eye, you must

always remember that fire

is dangerous

to the touch

your flesh is not

made to withstand

the burn and

glow of flame

so when you reach

out to take

that flickering spark

within your grasp

always know

that you will only

come away with singed fingers

for all the danger

and deadliness

of an open flame,

it is the slow freeze

and deep chill

of creeping ice that

scares me most

fire is dangerous

and you know that,

it is not a secret,

and there is always

the instant flash

to remind you

when you come too close

but ice is deceptive,

and you forget that

it is not a secret

because there is always

the initial reaction

where your own body

holds off the chill

fire consumes, and

when there is nothing

left but ash the flame falls

in upon itself and dies

but ice — ice grows,

and creeps, and inches

forward until you are

the reversal of a frog

in slowly boiling water —

dead

— and you never noticed

the slow creep of it

until it was too late

(until you closed your eyes)