Elements
by
Radiance Angelina Petro

This is the world of the wind.
Everything touching everything,
believing is wishful, shimmer
out and easy into the air,
dress everyday as if going
to a dance in flowing, loose clothes,
steps light and ready, feather dust
the living room like the gentlest
of tornadoes, arms clouds, flex the knees,
ease into turns, confetti tossed in the parade.
This is the world of the wind.

This is the world of fire.
Consuming all being consumed by all,
a living furnace, dancing hearth,
embers wiggling, rising, drunken fireflies
flying upwards, stars burning ancient
light, sinuous and leaping, scandalize
life with a smile. This is the world of fire.

This is the world of water.
Easily disturbed and the better for it,
adjusts easily to curves and forms
from oceans to tears, from tears to sweat,
rain and snow dance down and down,
wander around a lake, hands in pockets,
head slightly down, ripples draw near
encouraging steps, little drips
make great changes, freeze, then thaw
into mist disappearing, as estuaries wash roots
drawing honesty and lies up and through
the body. This is the world of water.

This is the world of the ground.
Shared and there when learning to crawl,
there for when jumping up and down
is called for, there for first walking the steps
of a new dance, there for when limbs unfold
into graceful, memorized movements,
the most consistent thing known to all the ground
there to follow the lead of the journey,
there for the steps of pall bearers,
there for the lowering into graves.
This is the world of the ground.