Smoke – Iron Haiku

partly melted snow-
embers from the campfire rise
toward the gibbous moon
–
a distant glow-
wood smoke and laughter
carried on the wind

engulfed in blue flames-
as my life turns to ashes
I step out reborn
–
down among the ashes-
the rain arrives
far too late

the soft light of dawn-
dim street lamps gutter above
aging cobblestones
–
threads of smoke-
last nights embers
turn to ash

‘neath a festive sky-
cold ashes rain down upon
old lakota land
–
beneath the stars-
none of us free
unto the last

a flame extinguished-
I conjure up the darkness
to reclaim your soul
–
whisps of smoke-
a mirror
in the dark

sight not born of eyes-
I see every detail of
the shape of your soul
–
winter morning-
the smell of your pipe
still lingers

reaching for the sun-
all those years spent climbing up
just to fall back down
–
scorched earth-
blackened stumps
to the horizon

slow curls of wood smoke-
snow covers the cabin roofs
nestled in the trees
–
pine boughs-
bent and white
with autumn snow
#snowing

steel axe and wedges-
an awful lot of effort
for a pile of wood
–
first snow-
chipmunks bedded
in the wood pile

stripped down to the waist
sledgehammer and splitting maul
ringing in the sun
–
hazy starlight-
woodsmoke drifts
through the trees