The phoenix descends
into scorching streams of red anguish,
outstretched in a hope-quenching, thirsty blaze
of sulfurous vapors and stinging heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Within,
a charred heart,
vine-veined
and vulnerable to the core of mercy\u2019s heat,
is refined in a furnace of suffering.
Resting in the pulse of crimson coals
he waits
crumbling into flakes of ashen grey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Flames grow drowsy in the black routine of death
until a Breath
spoken upon ash
sparks new flame,
white, embryonic,
in the residue of blood.<\/p>
Purified, the bird ascends over ash
on unleavened wings of sacrifice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Ashes blow to the sky.
We live.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The phoenix descendsinto scorching streams of red anguish,outstretched in a hope-quenching, thirsty blazeof sulfurous vapors and stinging heat. Within,a charred heart,vine-veinedand vulnerable to the core of mercy\u2019s heat,is refined in a furnace of suffering.Resting in the pulse of crimson coalshe waitscrumbling into flakes of ashen grey. Flames grow drowsy in the black routine of deathuntil […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,40,60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lent","category-poetry","category-via-crucis"],"yoast_head":"\n