what the burning left behind

maybe one day you

will comb through the

old soft dirt and find

my Teeth or my small

Finger Bones or the

Scraps of someone

else’s used Flannel

once shrugged from

my shoulders and

pocket it with the

Pebbles Coins Shells

Twigs just like i did

and imagine a strange

and beautiful Life for me

Inspired by:

“I wrote this poem while reading Notes from the Burning Age by Claire North, and was particularly inspired by the following quote: "Here's the history of the world for you. Here's what the burning left behind. You want gods, and all you get are people."

I absolutely loved this novel, and reviewed it for Women Write About Comics. While at first glance a poem about burning may not seem to relate to growth, we know through mythology and nature that from the ashes of forest fires comes new growth and life--this is also at the core of North's incredible novel.”