“Some Words for the Week”

The mountains quartz

all streaks of grey and white

in the thin December morning

close to the shortest day

of this year

I wake in the dark

build my fire

cook my eggs

load my tools

drive to work

grind in the biting chill

and drive back home in the dark

the coals in the stove

when I get home

are blinking bits of living heat

like the last pieces of passion

left inside of me

that are yet to be snuffed

by the work and the ware

and the waiting and the wars

and I hold those

bits of once flame and forest

in my chest

trying to not let my fire go out

Alexander Shalom Joseph is a writer from Gilpin County. He has two published books and one more forthcoming in the Fall of 2022. For more information and to subscribe to Alexander’s Newsletter go to alexandershalomjoseph.com