Oh, Saffron

What are you,
But - contradictory?
Strong, yet still
Invoking the delicate
Memories of flowers.

What are you,
But - warm?
Burnt and glowing
Both at the same time
The survivor and
The creator of fire.

What are you,
But - a song?
The trilling of a bird
Sitting in your heart,
Your mind's eye,
Living art, shifting
With a pulse.

What are you,
But - a thread?
Weaving together
The sound of bare feet
The sigh after a sniff
The sweat from a day's work
Making a pattern that
Of which
Has never been seen before.

What are you,
But - running?
On and on like the wind
Like scattered ashes
Like money for a drop
Like a flag, proudly raised
As the people sing praise
Like the spinning of the world-
Like it's past, half-forgotten
In the dryness of the sea

What are you,
But - ineffable?