Tuesday Poem by Dare Dan

HOLY GHOST FIRE!

And even if my gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing  (2 Corinthians 4:3)

No fire is gentle; much more being holy
all fire come from hell
& every fire has a fury, a hunger, a thirst…
yes, all fire must be fed, even if to feed on self.

Fire on a candle was thought to be dear,
so they placed it on a dais,
& sang holy… holy… holy
& bowed to its single tongue

But once they dozed out of consciousness,
every strand of their beard burnt
with a sweet savor of flesh
& ghostly feet ran like
cornered rat on the face of earth,
looking for a cravenly fix.

A name is what it is
a pauper can afford the best
Holy Ghost fire is the familiar beast
we feed to feed right back on our flesh
& the smell, as we’ve seen, is punishingly sweet!

Dare Dan is a freelance writer and a spoken-word poet. He lives in Lagos