Scorch

Her words tumble
out like broken rocks
Heavy lies the tongue
when she forgets
the taste of affection.
She reclines against
the earth to cool
her flowering fury.
Otherwise everything
around her would burn.

Every stem, every green
budding flower would scorch.
She reverberates like aftershocks.
as she leaves behind
the woman she does not love
abandons her language
with its crushing
capacity in wild
red flames.
The land lies heavy
upon her chest.