by Jack Kristiansen
after Marc Chagall’s Fire in the Snow (1942)
 |
| "Fire in the Snow" (1942); Gouache on paper by Marc Chagall. Collection: Amy and Eric Huck, Lewisberry, Pennsylvania |
It’s human
to start fires
and every so often
people approve
of villages going up
in flame
so tonight
a mother flees.
Like a statuethat’s come alivejust in timeto jump downfrom her perchabove the altar,a mother flees.
Having awoke
to the coughing
of her child,
their house flickering,
a mother flees.
No crownon her headto hold in placeher flaring hair,a mother flees.
The night’s gone green,
the snow green,
her clothes smoky green.
Her calm dog
waiting for her
to catch up,
a mother flees.
No husbandin sight,the angels gonein disbelief,left with a sonto save,a mother flees.
Her child
too heavy
to carry far,
a mother flees.
Jack Kristiansen exists in the notebooks and computer files of William Aarnes who hopes to move soon from South Carolina to Manhattan. His new collection The Hum in Human is available from Main Street Rag.