unkindled

one full season's memory of honey sweetness
embodied sunlight sings the deep kiss of vermillion flowers
the gathering work of a thousand slow and purposed hours
essence of greengrowing, nearly still alive
with care distilled from secret safety of the hive
purified and shaped while still spun gold, mutable

each light given its pair to shine with
twined to shared center potential
two radii turn hidden heat to radiance
only awaiting the strike of a match
touch flame to inner core

but now it's stilled, cool, quiet
solid where joyful dissolution should be
though they sing the sunglow's golden shade
the light within is hidden
this flame will not ignite
this fire is left unkindled

I too sleep on this quiescent shelf but
you still burn me to the wick in dreams
of flowergold and timeless blaze expanding
over all the gifts you shared but never gave
only in that other realm I shed -- my only hope --
superfluous exterior with each igniting
finally requiting weight of outer layers
leaving only sweetest honey smoke as proof