Day 3

The Yellowstone Caldera

Half a million years ago, a volcano loved the world too much.
Her attraction covered the continent in 250 miles of volcanic ash
and turned magma into mountains.

For awhile, she was hiding.
Caldera settled miles underneath us,
suppressing underground sobs,
striving for salvation
and slowly seeking sunlight for the second time.

-

Lately, she's been sprinting upward,
climbing three inches each year in search of the sun,

Scientists say Caldera will see surface again.

Not today.


Not tomorrow.


Her ancient scalp will scratch the surface in a thousand years.

Hers is a prolonged arrival,
fashioned across centuries,
Caldera will embrace our atmosphere
like coming home.
the earth will be singing,

shaking,

sobbing,

stunned at her reckless return.

She will greet us with Leviathan love and a landslide of lava,
her joy coating our lungs with the dust from her lips.
We will asphyxiate from her affection.

Caldera's kiss will be our last.