char

heat, oxygen, fuel/and say goodbye to your neighborhood/and many of your possessions/for nothing is sacred or safe/from this ultimate consumer

the indifferent greedy beast/blooms a spark into a destroyer of households/and “zero percent contained”/is its mantra of cruel mockery

one house in a cul-de-sac survives/and former residents ask God why

the grief and pain are likewise zero percent contained/in the dragon’s breath of Hell on Earth

huge heroism steps up

catastrophic as it is it could be worse

and steely strength of character/forges the mettle of modest saviors

.

the wind leaves char in its wake

the smoke settles in tidal pools and lucky uncharted surrounds

some day a new chapter will right itself