Flambeaux Royalty
He know the real colors of
Carnival
not be king purple, doubloon gold or cash green
but be bright spark, gravestone ash and blue black flame,
silver glint of coins tossed in an arc when
he dance extra fine and make the blazing torch pulse
to the trombone-drum-trumpet-tambourine,
silk-blazoned, hat-topped, metallic-bead-draped, slightly-drunk Second Line
crowding him to strut and shine
and make his way.
He don't feel the pinpricks of heat, splashing kerosene
and tarnished metal cutting into his shoulders.
He wrap a tattered cloth round his face
to stop embers from burning too deeply
and done make him even blacker
more beat up than the day before.
He know on this night,
Rex be no bigger king
than him leading the parade
in fire and flame, mask and blister,
iron, spark and flash,
the true colors of Mardi Gras.
-Aileen McInnis
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