Sonnet V

The Phoenix

Burn on, burn on! Legendary bird of flame! 
Reborn again from the dust of your death 
To rise above the fire of lust and shame 
And here, return in flesh with fresh, clear breath, 
Shimmering wings spread wide in youthful glow 
And those bright, twinkling adolescent eyes. 
The pride of fledgling joy you wish to show 
To all before your wonder fades and dies 
In the bright flash of fire storms cyclonic 
That consumes your body, returned to dust, 
And rekindles your soul, embryonic, 
To new life that stands bold, strong and robust: 
The glorious form of Phoenix a pyre, 
Cradled in ashes, encircled by fire.

W. H. Auden, American-English Poet, was born today in 1907.

Malcolm X, African-American Muslim minister and human rights activist.