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Victoria Phillips<br />
Parsing<br />
(verb, gerund or present participle: parsing<br />
1.) to analyze into parts and describe syntactic roles.<br />
2.) to analyze into logical components, typically in order to test conformability.<br />
3.) to examine or analyze minutely.)<br />
I used to enjoy parsing ashes.<br />
Oh, what I thought could be freshened<br />
by many long licks of flame,<br />
and a kiss on the forehead during the fever.<br />
I’ve bent and broken universes<br />
and now have spotted hands.<br />
Don’t laugh! but a naked me, still standing,<br />
should leave quickly<br />
at the end.<br />
This little spark has wet her matches:<br />
my pocket holds thumbs, grey matter, and glue,<br />
and a terrible misconception of<br />
words like family and time.<br />
But, Oh!, my Fire-Girls<br />
of muddle and restitution,<br />
you cannot burn yourselves enough for them,<br />
not on any altar they will build you.<br />
For all this, they will not declare you clean.<br />
So hear me as I’m melting,<br />
and hear me before I’m gone,<br />
And buy your boots for climbing,<br />
for leaping, and to run,<br />
not for standing so damned long<br />
in the burn.<br />
Civility + You<br />
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