Phoenix

An orange-red egg rattles . . . shakes . . . crack!
A sharp yellow beak pokes through
Feathers a spectrum of fiery colors
Bird of Flame is born

Freezing cold egg fractures like ice
Fluffy down sparkles frost-white
Diamond eyes shining like light in a prism
Bird of Ice is born

A colorful flashing inferno
Flies through a desert oasis
Weaving between broad-leaved trees
At home in the desert

Among crystal spires ice hawk darting
Shrill cry pierces chill air
Spiderweb fissures spread across fragile ground
At home in the tundra

Both birds spiraling high into the sky
They fluctuate and shimmer with heat and cold
Now blinding, they begin to morph
Two mythic phoenixes of fire and ice

Pulled together like an astral magnet
Elements clashing, suddenly conflicting
Battle, war, empires rise and fall
Phoenixes eternally in balance