The night of the fire!

Until then, I’ve never felt the pangs of emptiness
The thought of being alive that came with sadness
Panicked, yet filled with a sense of priority
Wisdom matching with gait and fresh alacrity.
Crackles and explosions from a tiny space
How carnage spreads at the fastest pace.

Mum and I were home one late Sunday evening,
A day that brought so much grieving.
After church, mum said “you must sleep”
I didn’t protest, cause my feet knew how to slip.
Mid-way to the gate, I saw the rising smoke
I hurried back to mum, before it finds her to choke.

I called for her and she came to the door
All confused and her vision was poor
All she could grab was her blanket and Bible
That sight of her in my mind is forever indelible.
The fire geared its breaks and pumped
Forget the firemen, and how late they stormed.

Ecclesiastics was brought to life before me
The scriptures about “all is vanity” clear to me
For the first time I met destitution
The calamity brought me to its institution
And the strength in mother’s eyes
Cooled all my fears like ice.

Vera

Photo Credit: WFTV.com