POEM & DIGITAL IMAGE BY GLORIA NEWTON
After the fires in Maui, Hawaii
Golden delicacy
Hangs in the aftermath of firefall,
The red rim of the sky’s dome
Diffusing to a dusky orange
In the 4 p.m. ocean fog.
In the muted light,
The shore struggles towards equilibrium
Without its old green horizon.
Seabirds are silent
On their sandbar dock
Smoke still cloying in their throats.
Fish below are searching
Uneasy and clamorous
For farther depths.
The sun begins to set
Unwilling to look at its charge any longer.
A purple longing to be vibrant
Hangs in a jagged streak at the horizon
As the sky reaches for any color
But red.
The waves are calm,
Accepting each piece of ash
As it emerges from the fog,
Giving the trees
One last moment of rest.
Livi Goodgame is a poet, writer, and fiddle player from Nashville, Tennessee. She studied English language, literature, and French at Middle Tennessee State University. She is always on the lookout for ways to exercise her creativity, desiring to utilize God-given gifts for the joy of others. Her poetry can be found in Collage, MTSU’s creative magazine, in each issue from Fall 2019 to Spring 2022.
