Today’s piece is presented without commentary, with the poet Rafal Borynski offering his thoughts in the bio:

The Flame

To light a flame, all needed is for a spark over a torch to hover
That flame, it can enlighten and  inspire at any hour, even dire
Guide from a dark room to a darker alley to the door
Discover new desires
But before you rejoice in your newfound  power
Remember
Remember to hold that flame straight
For even a quiver of your wrist in the face of bad weather
Or the thought that, as the torch-bearer, you have every right to be higher
And that pure lantern, touching even just a piece of paper
Becomes a funeral pyre
No more a sacred procession, but a trail of desolation good enough to cry over
That all you once knew would last forever is no more
Gone, all because you wanted more

©Rafal Borynski – 2021

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Rafal  Borynski is a teacher, artist, and metaphor developer based in Queens, New York.  He feels that a flame is the perfect metaphor for power; fire is beautiful, useful yet dangerous if not kept straight.  He is  optimistic  about the new administration yet  emphasizes the need to keep a watchful eye on all leaders, at all times, to make sure they “hold that flame straight.”

https://www.instagram.com/xcitynski/?hl=en
https://medium.com/@rafal.t.borynski

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkqzli4nfffUaamXnJR2EUw

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For the first 100 days of the Biden administration, this website will feature a new poem of What’s Next!? These pieces can be calls to action, calls to attention, or calls to anger. They will light the way and guide the fight. They will get us moving and keep our momentum. They will be filled with hope, with anger, with sorrow. They will get us into good trouble and point out the trouble we need to stop. They will be polished gems, or rough-cut drafts of rage, or in-process pieces searching for peace. They may be haiku or tanka, limericks or lyrics, verses free or fettered.

#100Days100Poems of What’s Next!? wants your poems, your prose, your visual art (photos, drawings, sculptures), your music, your short films and animations. Interpret the theme as broadly as you’d like.

If you would like to submit to this endeavor, please send an email, with your visual art (as .jpg or .pdf) or your poem saved as a word document (.docx) to waxyandpoetic AT gmail DOT com. Include a short bio (2-3 sentences) and social media/website information. All rights remain with the author. Please address any formatting preferences in your email. Waxyandpoetic.com will post submissions time permitting, with at least one per day beginning 20 January 2021.

Read, follow, share, submit, live, love, spread light! Don’t forget to use #100Days100Poems !