Ilya Shambat

The mind empowered with desire -
The heart upon a dragon´s back -
From depths of hell, Intricate Fire
Spring into life! And don´t look back!

Through caves, through shafts, and through volcanoes -
Into the clouds in ruby plumes -
Through things both exquisite and heinous -
Intricate fire to burn presumes.

What is your source? Who is your ruler?
Upon which start and to what end?
Reasoned from what, and in what manner?
Through context, based on which intent?

In forest, wildfire without pity;
Midst people, the electric light -
Moderate doses light a city;
Extremes burn holes in the night -

What will you char? What will you nourish?
And what transfigure, into whom?
What will in warmth you give off flourish?
What will be in your heat consumed?

Smashing through crust, and into air -
And with that feat of passion done
Springing past construct and despair -
But what is closer to the sun?

Crust breaks, that fire might meet the surface
And show what is that made the earth;
And then beyond, there is the cosmos,
That gave both earth and fire its birth!

And then beyond, galactic matter
And then - more, more, and endlessly
Simplicity complexly scattered
From simply hewn complexity:

Quasars, black holes, energized darkness,
The sugar in the Milky Way
Particle-waves, relative timespace
Between the Galilean frames -

But do not pause yet on your journey!
So much to see, so much to be!
Abyss of stars appear before you
And in them - blended - destiny:

To meet the sky, and like a comet
To blaze the path around the sun
Through Milky Way and out beyond it
And through it, out into the One!

Or two! Or three! Or the forever
Beyond the known aleph null -
Into the endless Everywhere -
Burst, fire, and never ever fall:

Spring into the eternal purpose
And only then you can be free:
From magma´s heart and into Cosmos -
Intricate fire! Burn through me!