Before Earth, Water, and Air Is Fire

Music: Goldberg Variations, Aria. By J.S. Bach. Sequenced by David Grossman.

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Before earth, water, and air is fire, On which all subsists, Not as flame on oil, Nor candle on wax, but with- In, as in us, each Element in love. So we are: Each organ mad with lust, tingling, The blood eager to cleanse the spleen, nerves Hungering for connection. Gifts are tongues of flame. A blood cell delivers its gift of oxygen. Why? Brain cells surrender memories. Reasons are beside the point. In love we do only what we cannot help, Each pinpoint moved by frenzy, Longing to give, to be accepted, consumed. Most of us have ideological toes, Or live brightly, with understandings More reasonable than real. Around us, within us, is fire, Non-consuming, Delivered from flame. Do we see it? Absolute, messageless. Do we see this dark, unradiant fire?