little match girl

she was hardly eighteen, 
this little girl 
with no guidance
who wistfully wandered into 
an alley all alone
looking for love but
lured by men of greedy 
lust, their lecherousness 
lobbed at her, in eternal winter
she shivered silently 


now with each precious love 
she strikes a flame
burning so brightly for a moment 
it all goes dark again
it all gets cold again
she's all alone again
baby: broken, bruised, botched
she lets herself 
and the matchstick 
fall to the earth


summer bakes away the hurt
autumn rain cleanses 
and the days are years 
magnificent mind 
goes everywhere, back again
words bounce off corners of 
her mind's pool table
crashing collisions of colors
she grows like a midsummer squash 
bulging til someone dares to pick her


and with this precious love 
she strikes a brand new flame
feels heat strong, certain, unyielding 
familiar flames, fifteen months of fuel
this fire does not extinguish but
it smolders at times, then 
crackles romantically in her ear, 
please set me ablaze, she prays 
quietly amidst the flickering light
wondering if she might be warm forever