Kind Cruel God

Waking up to you

grinning down at me

your long, golden hair falling off your shoulders,

I close my eyes

block out your face with my hand

but all it does is dull your smile

the rest of you peeking out

from behind my fingers.

Your name buzzes on my tongue

Familiar and sweet and familial

You have many names now

but they all feel the same as

the first did all those centuries ago

Your blazing glory eats at my skin

burns and breaks and makes me

red with freckles

but you still smile as you burn

up the one who loves you

the one who can’t live

without you

You smile and laugh and

those shimmering locks of yours

bounce through the airy world

you created,

setting fire to the meaningless 

chess pieces below

Everything flows around you

everyone drawn toward you

If a thing doesn’t love you

It dies

and I would kill them for you,

O grand Apollo, O beautiful Helios

O lovely Ra, O saintly God,

if you did not kill them first.