13 Jun Fruits of the Earth

if a thousand years passed 
in an instant I might arrive 
to great festivals of fire
my defining sorrows defended 
by charms of ashes in my shoes 
a germ of fertility burned 
from the civilized and the savage
torches blazing to bless 
the bantam crop with smoke 
bonfires on the periphery  
to fend off lightning 
and newly minted thunder
ill-wishing witches disinterred 
turned to rain 
the fighters dancing in masks 
of pugnacious wasps 
calves torn 
from the wombs of cows
and branded as mascots