hold the fire

the fire is placed
in the hands
and brought to the pit
where the ashes rest
in silence.
the ashes ignite,
and the hands
are cooled
with water,
the same water that
flows from the river.
the river is west
where the sun slumbers.
the heart of the world
is in the sun,
and it never stops beating.
the beating is like a drum
struck by the hands
who held the fire
to ignite the ashes
which are cooled
by the water
from the river
in the west
where the sun slumbers.
feet stomp at the dirt
in dance
from the beating of the drums
struck by the hands
who held the fire.
the dirt is of ash
which was ignited
with the fire
held by the hands
that beat the drums.
the fire is
in the pit
where
the feet stomp at the dirt
in dance
from the beating of the drums.
shouts call
from the throats
of those who dance
like battle cries
to the sun that slumbers
in the west
by the river
that quenches the hands
who held the fire.
the earth shakes
to the stomping feet
and beating drums
that are a call
to the heart that slumbers
in the west
by the river
that cools the hands
that held the fire
which ignited the ashes.
we are the heart
that held the hand
who holds the fire,
and beat at the drums
which began the dance
for the sun that slumbers
in us all
for silence,
for that which
placed the fire
in the hands
and began it all anew.