Burning

There once was a man

            and we thought—

because he can

This place could be different

and things might change.

The sun wouldn’t spill

and the faces

could re-arrange.

His hands were like gold,

            they sparkled,

and were

cold.

His eyes were dusty

and like chains

                        he got rusty.

This man held our cores

            and he burned us like hell.

Something different—

            something new—

We wanted to change.

                        from clumsy chores to anything more.

We wanted to go places.

            Go places—

            See faces.

So he told us we would

            and he burned us like hell.

We blazed like gold

            so he melted his hands.

We shone like dawn

            so the dust blew away.

We roared like God

            so the rust faded gone.

And the man was changed

            Changed—

Re-arranged.

            Something different—

Something new.

Then he flew away.

And the sun began to leak

and the faces melted in.

And we blazed and blazed

                        and burned like hell.