Most women are witches.
– Talmud
I chant the world alight and make myself anew.
The angels come to hear my word, the sleeping earth
awakes. My sister speaks the fire’s tongue, the true
and vicious name. The heavens open, stars fall through
and splinter. Into all the rivers prowling north,
I chant the world alight and make myself anew.
As dawn slinks in I break the bowl of sky in two
and bury half beneath the door. As every bird
awakes, my sister speaks the fire’s tongue, the true
and fearsome ache. She places cups of love to brew
and I, the cups of spite. Ablaze upon the hearth,
I chant the world alight and make myself anew
while kings and prophets falter, sages, husbands too,
their hands in hallowed fists. The thoughtless universe
awakes; my sister speaks the fire’s tongue, the true
and snaking fate we make. We know what God once knew:
that all creation’s conjuration: witching work.
I chant myself alight and make the world anew—
Awake, my sister, tongue afire, speak your holy truth.
