The apartment complex in front of ours burned early yesterday evening. Eight units were totally destroyed, but thank God, there were no deaths or injuries. Keep these residents in your thoughts and prayers.

remnants of people's homes
float away in smoke
and ashes
as they watch their dreams burn
and crumble into
nothingness -
adults gather in a
panicked knot and hold
children near
and watch the flames shooting
higher, consuming
all they own -
all except the clothing
on their backs, they have
nothing left
and the tears flow freely
because they're grateful
they're alive -
the frenetic pace of
firefighters match
the hectic
strobe lights piercing the night
that bounce off pallid
faces of
the assembly of ghosts
watching from
the sidelines -
moaning their collective
grief and thanking God
it wasn't
them - all i can do is
inhale their pain and
breathe a prayer.

(c) 2005, Karla Dorman.