Posted on January 14, 2026 by Jenn Zatopek

IN THE WAKE OF FIRE
– After Rita Dove

Here lies the mystery–
the ovarian cyst ruptured
a week after she asked it to.

Stars exploding in blood, labored breath,
and a trip to the ER on Christmas;
but it’s in the ultrasound room lying on
the table when she stumbles into stillness,
blanketed in ferns and damp moss,
verdant grass and fields of yellow flowers. 

On bed rest for days,
she finds peace
in the smallest things–

squirrel’s flashy auburn tail
running along neighbor’s fence,
bluebirds flitting in the birdbath,
the three cats asleep beside her
as winter sun rises and falls in the sky. 

When work returns with its chaos,
she remembers the sonogram room,
the lambent light, the thin gray walls,
which usher her back to the sanctuary. 

Her breathing slows down because
she knows how to get back there,
trusts her breath is the thread
that will carry her home. 

Image / Unsplash