Wow! The power in this piece is striking. If I recall, Greg Henry illustrated the book by Barbara Ann Porte called Chickens! Chickens! Your poem at least brings this to mind and certainly takes the story to a new level. Fact is I like yours better because you leave the reader with a sense of mystery in poetic form. Good stuff, Michael!

I read the synopsis for the Chickens, Chickens book and have seen just the cover of the book. I like that you took his paintings into much deeper territory and those last three lines do burn. I love the idea of painting heat. Thank you.