i dreamed of winter fire
and woke up drowned
in summer sweat.
the heat was real, i know it.
i felt it, but like January
instead of June.
i saw the flame leap up angry
out of the woodstove.
i caught a noxious whiff
of singed, stray hairs.
a slip of paper smoldered

in amongst the ashes.
i recognized my chicken scratch
and your incendiary name.
i woke up drowned in summer sweat
but couldn’t stop the cold chill
sliding down my slick spine.