Tinto

in the fire of change
I find my lost colors

smoke of azul and rose
twisting into light blue
destiny of sky

where are you
if not in this fire
where are you
if not in this sun?

fragile and light
fragile yet strong

you sleep within these colors
you live within this sun

along borders of fragrant passage
you face the sun
you face the fire

the tree turns to ash
its limbs only a reminder
of the future creation

tinted in rose
painted in blue

in the fire of change
I see your light

in the final fire
a chant of repose
turning toward heaven.

San Miguel d’Allende, Spring, 1987.

Tinto means dyeing colors in Spanish. In Mexico, I wrote this poem after building a fire in an outdoor fire pit, heating a large tub of water, and then putting the colored dye and white t-shirt into the water. This poem is about transformation; an outward activity becomes a symbol of the inner journey. That is one possible interpretation.