Worth

I find that I flee

From silence 

And solitude

And even sleep,

Filling their sacred void

With sound and fury,

Talking heads and tiktokers,

Resonant, relentless voices 

Selling wares 

Without worth.

I flee because 

I feel a flame

Flickering in the deep dark,

And I fear it will find me,

Pass over me,

Utterly consume me,

Leaving behind only hints

Of the self I thought I was:

Ashes and dust, 

Without worth.

I flee because

I don’t yet believe

The truth I profess:

A flame is there, yes,

And it consumes, yes,

But it’s there to unbury 

A hidden treasure,

To burn away my dross,

And finally reveal 

All of my worth.