Cinders

Cinders

By

Lisa A.Williams

Anointed-

unknowingly

by

brick or board.

Trash,

they were called

those tow-headed girls  

wanting to purge

this dry christening

 which scathed

skin and soul,

it’s adornment

crushing the child chant

“names will never hurt me”

Lingering lyrics-

notes carried high

by those who sang

of

castaways

smelling of smoke and cinder.

Undetected by thought or word,

somehow they knew

the fire

was always smoldering.

Trash-

to be discarded,

unworthy.

They were singed

yet somehow

rose from the flames,

bore their blistering-

purified.