A Hero in Flames

This is the second post of Jane's on this site, with her first being White Stag. This next poem, A Hero in Flames, took my breath away and poured inspiration into my empty cup. A while after writing this poem, Jane found that she is officially cancer free–a miraculous work of God that deserves ceaseless celebration.

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a hero in flames

by jane claudio

If I was to die
It would be with the reflection of the mountains in my eyes
I would die with sun-pink cheeks
And a mouth full of blackberries

I want to die while my heart is still a greenhouse for hope
All my wild dreams as seedlings in egg cartons
Reaching toward the window

I cannot die yellow and hungry
I will not die in sterile air

But I would like to die
While the fireflies are still glowing
Morse coding their poetry for a cynical earth

I would like to die like Joan of Arc
With dignity and urgency and stubbornness
As a watercolor portrait in the night
A sight to behold, a hero in flames

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Photo by Keeli Faith

Jane Claudio is a cancer survivor in Nashville, Tennessee. She uses writing as a cure for loneliness and a magnifying glass for the beauty we experience every day. She is also shares her words through songwriting, with her work being accessible at www.nightbirde.com. 

Chapter Two - Lavender

Lavender. The second chapter in the poetry collection Morning Air, Morning Light. This is the chapter, laced with patience and steeping with self-reflection. Lavender evokes the pause and gentle thought–the third-party perspective. 

You can order your copy of Morning Air, Morning Light here - all orders from this site are signed at no additional cost. I can't wait for you to read it!

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g e n e s i s ( e x c e r p t )
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It was a radical debut, 
escaping the sharp teeth of addiction, 
that lurked in the shadows of surrounding–
now in the place of rehabilitation.

A few bad habits lingered,
pruned away,   
and as my empathy grew, 
I became apathetic towards the dissipating detachment. 

I was no longer fastened to the flaws–
instead, 
the opportunity of redemption renewed. 

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'g e n e s i s'   a c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s
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Starring // Sarah Neff
Written + read // Regan Smith
Film // Elizabeth Miller
Music // Ricky Smith
Mix // Jeremy Claudio

Update No. 3

Morning Air, Morning Light is officially available for preorder! 

For the past three years, a bevy of my creative attention has been devoted to the collecting, writing and editing of this piece. Morning Air, Morning Light is a poetry collection with words stitched together depicting a sequence of events: memories recorded, experiences documented, restoration tangibly read. This tiny book holds all the moments I felt pulled to press to paper, the words that saved my life.

Revelation embarked while writing and healing was tangibly held in the palms of my hands, though conceived through simple obedience—placing my pen to paper. 

The collection is comprised of four chapters: Nightfall, Lavender, Golden Gaze, and the title chapter, Morning Air, Morning Light. In anticipation for the book’s release, a poem from each chapter has been paired with a film in collaboration with Elizabeth Miller, with music created by my talented husband, Ricky Smith. These videos will be released throughout the progression of this month, leading up to the launch. 

Morning Air, Morning Light can be preordered here and will be released on September 5, 2018. On this date, I will be performing several of the collection’s poems at a Listening Party and will be selling and signing copies. 

I haven’t kept a regular cadence of updates–rather relaying a sporadic script of status regarding my debut poetry collection, but you can find the other posts regarding its progress via Update No. 1 and Update No. 2 (you'll find that I was wildly off my timeline). 

To help spread the word of the Morning Air, Morning Light movement, join our Launch Team or preorder a book for you and a friend! The ultimate vision is to be able to share this simple healing and hope to those that find themselves within a void, offering a small drop of tranquility to exponentially expand into overflow. 

Unveiling

Joni Bonney is a dear friend of mine. We connect weekly over muggy cups of tea and read excerpts of books aloud to one another. She is my counterpart in co-hosting Poetry Nights, and we are currently planning another for July. She truly emulates the heart of Christ in every fashion; she's always reminding me to be mindful, for gratitude abounds when mindfulness is held. These virtues are laced into her writing and linger in my mind for days. 

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Unveiling

by joni bonney

Existence, experience and the need to feel.

Interlaced progression

Underneath my calm state of being.

I see myself as a memory
Dancing in the fine lines that show across my cheeks.

I see myself hidden in the evergreen
Invisible to what I could previously see.

Brushed up gently to everything that could be.

Instinctively melting into you.

Soft conversation and slow-paced walks
Stirring connectedness.

Whispers and hair brushed delicately to the side of my shoulder.

I can breathe easy
I inhale the breath you have exhaled.

Out of nothing, I am created once more.
Fostered by love.

Focused on a time and a place

I exist in the moments between rain storms.
Slowly, I allow my face to soak.

I lift my arms and finally live in all corners of myself.
Drawn in, graciously, no part withheld.

Undergoing a change in speed, but not in direction.

Deconstructing habitual motions.
Extending my exposure.

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Joni Bonney's goal is to spread love and to emphasize the beautiful things that we miss most of the time in this life.

She grew up on the East Coast and is now living and growing in Nashville, Tennessee, and always planning trips to places around the country. She walks forward as a wanderer through this lovely journey called life and hope to grasp all she can. 

Joni is the author of Songs of Her, and her work can be found through her site, Lovely Wanderer.