I love this poem!!
Every line -
if I were on paper would you erase me?
slowly, line by fading line? Or would you
light the fire in the old chimney
and set a match?
In a good way, this reminds me of Robert Frost - (your verse is more sophisticated, of course, than Frost's!)
Some say the world will end in fire, / Some say in ice. / From what I've tasted of desire / I hold with those who favor fire. / But if it had to perish twice...
I love, love, love lines like these:
Uknowable as the first
kiss. And a stiff hug, barely
improper.
I love that you had to preface the poor Robert Frost mention with "in a good way". He never was one of my favorites.... I think in my head I was channeling Joni Mitchell cum Auden with a bit of Brodsky's deceptively small words and simple (at times) rhymes thrown in. But that's just me, of course :-)
Love you for loving this @carolkean
*I always liked Robert Frost, myself
But I love Robert Service, panned by the intelligentsia.