Part XXVII and XXVIII

XXVII

Somewhere in the flames

Lay a toy screaming

As the batteries distinguished

Onto the floor

Then it’s arms

And it’s legs,

Melting underneath

The gaps in the floors

Before dripping onto

The pavement

Next to the charred wheels,

Etched in the heat

With smoke

Coughing out of the windows

With your face pinned

Against the door

Both inside and outside

As much a mirror

To the suffering

But several different kinds

Of warning. 


XVIII

Passing cars deflect on the back

of closed bank counters

holding each others hands

gouged in frozen terror

outstretched on the edge

of the near dead in purgatory

held in place in-between

a frozen surface tension and

the glow of filtered moonlight

ducking and diving between flames

humming like an engine

stained in a nervous sweat

mirroring the fear of my own hands

as I dragged out

two, then three children out

with your words pleading

no, no, no

then I saw your body.