Wanderer

Flames fought to reach the burning sky

As the wanderer watched

Reflections of hungry fire danced

On the water in the bottom of his pail

The scent of smoke carried him

Back to his childhood

The day his first home burned down

He looked up at the flames and saw it all again

The smoke was swirling, crying, “Run.”

Longing tasted like smoke, how was that?

The fire laughed and he closed his eyes

Let it burn, let it burn...

When he opened them the house was

Burned to the ground...

Smoking timbers,

Smoldering, crumbled walls

Now he was gray like the fog

He smiled and set the bucket down

The water sloshed over the sides and trickled

Into the dry and thirsty ground

He threw his coat over his shoulder

Walked into the desert without a backward glance

That house had never been his home

Fire couldn’t take a thing

From a wanderer like him