Hands
softer than butterflies, and yet
strong; gentle enough
to brush the dust and ashes
from crumbling candles and crowns.
Castle walls are not as strong as I thought.
Soot
blacker than the night sky, smelling of
engine exhaust and cigarettes, my eyes burning
with tears.
Is it just me,
or does the white, burnt wood
make the air seem colder?
Smoke
laces the fabric of our clothing, into every
seam and rip that escapes our eyes;
weaving through hair and layers
of skin. Thin flags
hang loosely in the dirt.
Flames
that were once there
were kindled with a flickering hope
that nothing else could match.
For a long time we forgot
how to fall.
What made us remember?
Clouds
of smoke and sorrow
settle in my view, but they do not
blur it. There is only
a fluttering candle, but among
the clouds I can still see
castles.
Memory
is triggered by scent, and I welcome it.
When I smell the cracking cedar,
I will remember
our determination to rebuild,
restore,
and renew.
A new fire calls us.
Roads
behind, the world ahead.
But no matter how far we travel,
we will carry this kingly scent of smoke—
a constant reminder of what has been
and what we will take with us.
Castles
will be built from these ashes,
stronger and firmer than before.
We will take the charred concrete of what used to be,
and ignite a new ember
with old matches.
After all, they never lost their spark.
Cindy Green is a forest-wandering, poetry-scribbling stargazer with messy notebooks and messy thoughts. Despite her love for all of God’s creation, sunflowers and stars in particular have a way of sneaking into both her writing and her heart (but you won’t hear her complaining about it). She is an amateur sword-wielder with a Highland-dancing warrior spirit who also writes letters to the moon and considers the sky her best friend. A focused daydreamer, organized pack rat, and oblivious observer, she is a self-professing ambivert (or a living contradiction) who deeply feels both the beauty and fallen state of the world. Through her words, she hopes to describe the indescribable and form personal connections with people while reflecting a love for her Savior and a passion for everything she touches.
Oh, Cindy!!! This. Is. PERFECT! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ I cannot express how much I adore this masterpiece! Awesome submissions like yours are what make me enjoy making the post graphics so much. 🙂
Oh, and did I mention how glad I am that you’re writing for SE? 🤗
Aww, Mariposa, I’m so excited to be working with you here! You’re a sweetheart and I love your art so much. This is going to be amazing ❤
When I asked if you could write a poem about embers, I knew the results would be beautiful, but you still exceeded my expectations. 🙂
I’m so glad you like it 🙂 And I’m so glad to be here with you! ❤
Cindy your work never ceases to amaze me. <3
Christiiiii ❤
So stinkin’ good. You’re incredible, Cindy!
Aww, thank you, Elizabeth 🙂
I love this (and your new bio!) so ridiculously much.
*whispers* and I love you
*bows* Many cookies were consumed in the making of that bio. 😀
This is gorgeous, Cindy – you really are a master when it comes to poetry. <3 <3
That is high praise, Savannah, and I am not worthy — but I’m touched all the same. 🙂
*contented sigh* Beautiful. Unreservedly, picture perfect beautiful. Thank you for that brief, beautiful, poignant journey.
*sniff* This is the most beautiful comment. ❤
*waves hand fanatically* LOOK! It’s my favorite poet!! Writing awesome poetry as always, Cindy, I really loved this one and all the meaning that you packed into it’s stanzas. 😉 The metaphors are strong with this one, and I love it!
SARAH! *hugs you* I’ve missed you! These are meaningful words coming from my own favourite poet. I don’t know how to say thank you for this one ❤
CINDY!! This is breathtaking <3 I'm so proud of you. 🙂
*grins* This was the only poem I didn’t show you beforehand. Your reaction satisfies me deeply 😀
But thank you, love. This makes me so happy. ❤
That was really, really beautiful Cindy. You seem like a very talented writer.
Good job friend👍☺
-Reba
Thank you, friend! It’s great to have you here 🙂
This is so beautiful! I love the imagery and how it all ties together at the end. The interweaving of flame and smoke and ash and castles and hope is breathtaking. So glad I found this!
Hope — a theme I love to weave into my poetry. Thank you so much, Katherine! 🙂
Wow, that was absolutely breathtaking. Astounding! First of all, I really enjoyed the form of the poem. It lent to the mood and made me smile right off the bat. Secondly, oh my goodness! You wrote this with such vivid imagery!! I loved the small segments that all strung together. Each stanza packed a full punch. I am very interested to read more by you!
This was such amazing encouragement from a poetic mind! It’s always lovely to hear thoughts on form, imagery, etc. Thank you!