Mantle

A new use of an old and trusted word
That conjures images of fireplaces
Of winter nights and marshmallows
Of picture frames and garlands
Dinner parties and solitude

Or a part of the Earth
That seems imaginary but isn't
The protective layer
Between crust and core
Keeping us from melting

Or perhaps it should be
A garment of power
Worn by feudal lords
Cardinals, popes, and knights
With entitlement or reluctance

Now a cell among many
Fueled by rogue genetics
Assuming the purple mantle of power
Between my crust and my core
With entitlement, not reluctance.