Fragments of a heart on fire...

Day 22

I open the battered box.
In the dark, bright-eyed bats
circle the air, tangle notes
in the hair-strands of my thoughts;

these are the doubting times.
Nothing can be found, or good, in here.

A small light flickers,
glow-worm silk moth, firefly
against the night, bright wings
of sticky incandescence
beating, beating,
learning how to raise
its body from the ground.

I lift it up, hold it carefully
in the hole of my palm,
wait for the sun
to dry its wings,
help it fly.

(from Fragments - Victoria Bennett, Wild Women Press 2006)

FOOTNOTE: The poems collected in Fragments were written, one day at a time, during my stay of 40 days and nights at The Poor Clare Convent, Crossbush, UK. I joined 3 other female volunteers, the Sisters and the all-women crew from Tiger Aspect Productions. who documented our shared and individual experiences. The final cut of this journey was transmitted on BBC2 in June/July 2006. It was a unique adventure.