I cleared the ashes atop the altar
and decluttered my fairy garden
to grow,
for the flicker was hidden
and the words were dim
as I began to awaken:

beneath the crescent cloth
underneath the shards 

I left the circle
and let the poking pitchfork
splash spurts of blue and purple
to the renewal of my heart.

I closed my eyes and let the tears drip  
and dreamt of the quartz crystals
to pour,
for the light of Earendel appeared
and the planets smiled
as I began to widen:

beyond the shadows
beyond the bitter wind.

I bottled up all the yarrow in mason jars
along with stardust dreams
to dispel will-o’-the wisp
and let the moon’s glow
soften the ripples
with the mating call of the fireflies,
shimmering across the water.

_____________________________________________________________

Caroline Reddy’s work has been accepted or published in Active Muse, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, Braided Way, Calliope, Clinch, Grey Sparrow, International Human Rights Arts Festival, Quail Bell and Star*line,  among others. In the fall of 2021, her poem, “A Sacred Dance,” was nominated for the Best of The Net prize by Active Muse. A native of Shiraz, Iran, Caroline Reddy is working on a collection of poems titled Star Being, which chronicles the life of a star being on Earth.