"Call Me Wildfire," by Taylor Marie Kayonnie-Erlich, first round poem in the Sedona Poetry Slam on Saturday, July 30, 2011.
"Call Me Wildfire"
by Taylor Marie Kayonnie-Ehrlich
published in the 2011 FlagSlam National Poetry Slam team chapbook "Gossamer Outrage"
published in the 2011 FlagSlam National Poetry Slam team chapbook "Gossamer Outrage"
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Photo courtesy of Tara Graeber Taylor Marie Kayonnie-Ehrlich |
Yes, I may be all of these things, but please,
If you’re going to label me,
Call me wildfire.
Like the flames blasting in Satan’s inferno,
I can often seem like a curse,
I can rip your soul to shreds,
Because I got a temper like a fire-breathing dragon,
You do not want to test me,
Come upon my lair,
And you will not be the hero in this story,
Mother, when I was just a spark of imagination floating through the hollow crevices of your body,
You had no idea, that I was going to catch,
And when his energy pounded you like lightning bolts on a dry Arizona desert,
I combusted into reality,
Like the Big Bang, I came out of nowhere,
But I am not a mistake.
I am an act of God,
A natural disaster created by your body,
How was I supposed to know you didn’t think I could happen?
I am just your mistake, how do you expect me to act?
I’m just the coals you didn’t put out,
You left me alone in this forest to die,
But instead I thrived,
I’ve been physically programmed to burn,
Watching everything you’ve done is how I have learned,
Have you ever watched a fire dance?
So gracefully, so effortlessly,
Breathing in air, and blowing out carbon,
I can make poison,
I can bring forests to their knees,
Please, don’t disturb …
I’m just trying to dance,
And when you try to tame me, enclosing me in this ring,
I get antsy, I get lonely,
So I’m going to throw my arms out and close my eyes,
Grasp onto anything within my reach,
Until this whole forest dances with me,
Oh, this earth, you are my dance floor,
And I promise, I will never stop dancing,
I’m kind of a crazy dancer,
I will probably scuff my shoes and leave my mark,
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But I’m telling you, you’re going to love to watch me do it.
You say I’m out of control, but I’m just doing the only thing I know how,
I’m being myself,
So what if the world hates me?
I don’t want to touch me anyway; because all they try to do is put out my flame,
You cannot tame me.
Because for 18 years I’ve been kindling charcoals in the deepest fire pit in my heart,
Slowly, I’ve grown bigger and bigger,
Stronger and stronger,
And now,
I am a wildfire.
Vicious and out of control,
Devastating and beautiful,
I am mesmerizing,
Drawing you in like an unexpecting moth to a death trap porch light,
You want to touch me,
Making your skin tingle,
I bring the heat,
Make you sweat,
Hurt so good,
Our bodies make friction,
But my touch will leave scars,
You’re going to remember me,
And sometimes you’re going to wish you never played with me,
Please, do not hate me,
I swear it’ll all grow back,
Because time heals everything; I’m just trying to make the most of it,
This is just the only way I know how to express myself,
Mom, after 18 years of watching all of our love be a twisted recreation of abuse,
I do not know how to love,
I just know how to burn,
I don’t expect you to understand,
But we are wildfires blazing up,
We will hurt others and push them away,
But we will always burn bright and true,
Because this is what we were made to do,
Fire travels uphill faster,
I’m going to make it to the top,
And all of the negativity,
Will be the fuel to light me,
I can’t be put out.
I am now 18,
And this is just the beginning.
Copyright 2011 © Taylor Marie Kayonnie-Ehrlich
Taylor Marie Kayonnie-Ehrlich
Taylor Marie Kayonnie-Ehrlich was born and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona. Fifteen years later she started spitting poems at FlagSlam. The first time she slammed, she shook like a leaf, but now she commands the audience.
Now at 18, she is staring into a world of open doors, not sure of which ones to walk through. She believes that life is all about fun and happiness, and we must learn to make it just that.
Like a child, she’s constantly curious and eager to see what life’s all about, and eager to find out. Writing is one of the many ways she expresses her audacity for life. Performing her poetry for three years now, she believes that slam poetry isn’t just a competition, but a tool, one to be heard.
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