#0611

Birthday Flame for Adrienne Barbeau

Adrienne, born beneath a velvet light,

you move through time like perfume

through a room—warm, unforgettable,

a dark rose opening at dusk.

Your voice is honey over midnight glass,

your presence, a candle that knows

how to make shadows beautiful.

Even the years seem to pause

to admire the curve of your fire.

Tonight the stars lean closer,

the moon spills silver at your feet,

and every hidden garden

remembers how to bloom.

May your birthday be wine-dark,

soft as silk against the skin,alive with laughter,

mystery,and the deep music of being desired

by life itself.

So let the candles burn low,

let the night speak gently

—for beauty such as yours

does not fade.

It gathers power.

Crushed within my rib cage

Lies a box of autumn leaves

With shoe prints on each

Viciously locked within

The leaves bury me

So they, too, can hear the satisfying

Crunch