Illusions of Permanence

Illusions of Permanence is Ron Ellison's third book of poetry. Collected for the first time, the poems in this slim and profound volume echo ecstatic poetry from world traditions, and take the reader through chapters of adventure, solitude, love and longing in the poet's life. This work stands as a memorial to a writer beloved to many.

                  Kindled:

Let me inhale this light you breathe
let it wend its way
into my heart
and kindle so much wood
into flame.
Let me be consumed
from my bones to my skin
so that I glow
like a paper lantern.
I would be
quietly carried away by the wind
to become
a distant point of light
one of many
in a starry sky.