Last night at 3 AM, my house was on fire.
And I decided say inside and watch it burn.
They knocked at my door.
“Come out! We need to get you into another shelter.
You can’t stay in there, and you can’t stay outside.
It simply isn’t safe!
It simply isn’t done!”
I shook my head slowly and watched
the cinder and the sparks
bounce off the fire to sink down on the floor.
They fluttered down.
Like butterflies finding the perfect spot to sunbathe
in the early morning rays.
The heat singed my face,
sweat poured down in tiny rivulets,
tears marked its way down the soot stained skin.
The smoke rose up and I knelt down on the floor seeking air.
Gasping.
Choking.
My lungs burning with every breath.
My nails clawing the ground.
I stayed on.
I was awakened by the first cool breeze.
The roof had been replaced by stars.
Janet Orlene
