[James Brancheau]

Hi Michael—Great to see you posting in non-met. Or just posting in general. This is kind of haibun-ish, or maybe it’s some form that I’m not familiar with. In any case, I think this is excellent. I love the gray fire and that it possibly "turned all-consuming.” So I’d be very tempted to just end it with the fourth stanza. With that in mind (and I have no idea now how to make this work smoothly), I might flip stanzas two and three. I was thinking the same as Glenn re the beacons luring boats to crash on the rocks, and that wonderful beacon moment seems to go with “rattles rocks and shells.” I just think I’d like those two elements to be in closer proximity. Just a thought.

The only other thing that came to mind is that the questions seem rather piled on. I might limit them to the last, or penultimate stanza. I do think this is pretty great as it sits, so, for whatever it's worth.