“…fire is the silent language of the star.” Conrad Aiken
Degree of tilt gives us Earth home,
sun scorch and crusty surface,
perhaps barren ice field with howl
as the only language. From here
Betelgeuse and Rigel speak
with blue lips and even the dying red giant
kindles no cozy snuggles
with its flaming fandango.
We are all dancing to our deaths.

CAROL HAMILTON taught 2nd grade through graduate school in Connecticut, Indiana and Oklahoma, was a medical translator and storyteller. She was Poet Laureate of Oklahoma and has published and received various awards for 19 books and chapbooks of poetry, children’s novels, and legends. She was nominated for Best of the Net and ten times for a Pushcart Prize.