Death of a Fire
A Poem
My grandpa in a hospital bed
bones and skin and little else
but I remember him
when I was seven, and I asked him
what God looked like
because I thought God would have looked
a little bit like him
just bigger, and maybe mixed with
a little bit of Aladdin’s Genie:
all-powerful, kind, granter of wishes
He told me if God looked like anything
He would look like fire
an inferno so bright and powerful
you wouldn’t be able to look at it
Back in the hospital room,
I think maybe we were both
a little bit right
and a little bit wrong
because there he is right in front of me
and I can hardly bear
to look
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Grace Moore is a writer and the author of the poetry collection When We Were Lifeboats. When not writing she enjoys baking, reading, and doing any activity that involves supplies from the craft store. She lives in Washington with her husband, where they can often be found discussing Doctor Who in-depth. Follow her on Instagram for more writing and future project updates.
