The last step is the time in the kiln
where heat born of poplar and pine
hardens and burnishes
these pliable, clay born bodies
through this blazing temple of artistry.
For days on end the fire cures
until the crackled glaze begins to gleam
and tints of copper, tin and iron
flush the dull pots with living color,
revealing at last their true character.
Now they glisten, glow and shine
like fancy on a kitchen table,
instruments of magic handed down
from sorcerer to apprentice,
conjured by skill and tradition.
In the kitchen cupboards and closets
they whisper and pantomime the earth's secrets.