Northern Glow

Fire beyond fire
Night sky’s orange glow
Set in evening’s pale blue
Lit from red lava flow.
Night turns slowly black on cue
In the North this orange hue.
Small sign, yet turmoil deeply chronic
Fire within fire tectonic.

Katla’s crust by fissures rent
Magma welling up through the vent
Magma Mag Mah
Blah blah blah, blah
Fire upon fire

Eruption’s deadly booming roar
Flinging molten rock high
Hurling pumice higher still,
Gouts of scalding steam
Belching dust and deadly gas.
Vulcan of the frozen North
In self-declared war
Long dormant; now risen
Fire after fire.

Manchester views this glow in awe
Earth’s last gasp cigarette
Flickering way up in the North
And Winter Hill in silhouette
Fire beyond fire.

Martin Delemare

14th June 2010

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