Tinderbox

i often wondered what i would save in the event of a fire
we all stared in shock and disbelief rooted to the concrete pavement
as menacing black crouching dragons mushroomed
bombing the shivering horizon
spewing red volcanic flames from flaring nostrils
threatening to reduce to ash our homes, possessions
and lives on a breezy, status quo, Monday afternoon in
Brevard County, Florida

Hurriedly i collected the priorities, irreplaceable memoirs, documents,
and items, stuffing my car and suitcase… just in case
turning on sprinklers, i scanned my home
several houses, blocks away, had already burned to the ground

emergency water helicopters and fire engines
bravely battled the out of control inferno
in the midst of the anxiety, confusion, and panic
i felt an odd surge of extraordinary lucid impressions
flooding my consciousness

What could i truly call my own?
everything i held dear including this flesh and blood identity
a gift offered and enjoyed for a brief, tenuous
fleeting, mysterious moment in time

You open Your panoramic, divinely dramatic All-seeing eye
and the entire Universe writhes and dances
diving through fiery hoops, like professional fire-eaters
swallowing, consuming their insatiable blazeraging desires

You blink eternal beyond the ultra-silent starless people-less formless night
One perfect, pure immaculate orange-robed Sadhu [ascetic] sits in classic lotus pose
and thinks of…..absolutely nothing 

~Sonya Tomlinson Burke, USA

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