I left my dreams behind
on the sweaty sheets.
Let them evaporate
in the smoky air. Fires
are closing in on us.
This air shuts me out.
Shallow, painful --
the breathing. Ashes
in my mouth. I sat
with my neighbor
on the deck, smoking
cigarettes. She grieves
her friend who died
suddenly, full of cancer
they thought they'd killed
with drugs and radiation.
Sudden, fierce, these
fires. They ignite from
nothing, a spark, a dry
storm. They say, stay
indoors. Don't breathe
deep. My heart has
hardened. A stone?
A walnut? Perhaps
a pinecone, prickly,
waiting. Is there any
seed left? The Buddha
says, open. Soften.
Breathe.
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Wow this was very good! The fire, smoke and cancer. Powerful!
Posted by: Tammy | 15 September 2006 at 11:12 AM