Phosphorus and Fire Lily

The youth Phosphorus 
entered the valley
as a gleaming light 
upon a black hill.

Fire Lily saw him
and loved him,
saying, “Be only mine. . .
forever!”

“I want to be yours, 
my lovely flower,
but that would give birth
to your senses and 

spark thought.”

“O let me be all yours
within my 
glowing fire. Within
my rays of

light.”

Fire Lily kissed Phosphorus
and, exploding into flame, she
gave birth to a wing’d, black dragon
who called metals forth, who called forth

war. 

Inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s “The Golden Pot: Third Vigil”
Merritt Island, FL June 11, 2023
Poem and photograph by James Rovira