Burning Oneself Out

A poem by Adrienne Cecile Rich (1929 – 2012)

We can look into the stove tonight

as into a mirror, yes,

the serrated log, the yellow-blue gaseous core

the crimson-flittered grey ash, yes.

I know inside my eyelids

and underneath my skin

Time takes hold of us like a draft

upward, drawing at the heats

in the belly, in the brain

You told me of setting your hand

into the print of a long-dead Indian

and for a moment, I knew that hand,

that print, that rock,

the sun producing powerful dreams

A word can do this

or, as tonight, the mirror of the fire

of my mind, burning as if it could go on

burning itself, burning down

feeding on everything

till there is nothing in life

that has not fed that fire

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Poems in English 

• On Your Midnight Pallet Lying poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• On Your Midnight Pallet Lying poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• On Wenlock Edge The Wood’s In Trouble poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• On Wenlock Edge The Wood’s In Trouble poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• On the Idle Hill of Summer poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• On Moonlit Heath and Lonesome Bank poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• On Moonlit Heath and Lonesome Bank poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Oh Who Is That Young Sinner poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Oh, when I was in love with you poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Oh Stay At Home, My Lad poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Oh Stay At Home, My Lad poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Oh, see how thick the goldcup flowers poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Oh, see how thick the goldcup flowers poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Oh fair enough are sky and plain poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Oh fair enough are sky and plain poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• O Why Do You Walk poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Now Hollow Fires Burn Out to Black poem – Alfred Edward Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Now Hollow Fires Burn Out to Black poem – Alfred Edward Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• March poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• March poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman

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