Water simmers
on the edge of boiling
Steam rises to the rim
swirls with deceptive beauty
a mist—that scalds and burns
A few degrees more
and turbulence erupts
whirling into blistering instability
Unrealized outrage
that seethes and sputters
A few degrees less
and danger recedes—
Gentling back into
warmth and comfort
Simmering again on the edge
Copyright 2015 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman
