Wine Glass Angels

by Austin Corbin

Her finger runs along the rim

The hum rolls of the glass

Into the air it goes 

The cigarette in her mouth

It slowly goes out 

The fire around her does not

She remembers what she did

The fire feels like an old friend

A flame licks the cigarette 

Relighting the rolled blend

The calm energy 

The longing

The peaceful turmoil 

Dying with so much life

After living with so much death

The house she set a blaze

It was not her own

It was the house in which she grew up

Her father’s

It was him she wished to burn

The imposing burden 

Her worst enemy 

The painful smile

So genuine

So fake

He loved her, he would say

Why doesn’t she feel it

Why is she here, right now

Supposed to lead her to live well

Tried too hard and now she’s lost

She knew, she knew 

How to help

How to live

How to thrive

Brought down just to survive

She remembered, she wept.