All my life
the thought of a house-fire
has terrified me.
Going to bed at night,
heart thumping,
hands folded in quiet
desperate prayer
'God please dont let us have a fire'.
The good lord knows
what can happen
when you close
your eyes.

Wall outlets,
gas-pilot stove-tops,
faulty cords,
furnaces...

you fall asleep
and then horrifyingly,
just like on Rescue 911
the house is full of smoke
and you are feeling door handles
to see if they are hot
and you are trapped in your room
and have to break the window
to escape.

You remind yourself nightly
of your escape route,
the quickest way out of the house
in your nightgown and nothing else,
and do you save the photo albums?

Every night, praying feverishly
until unconsciousness overcomes you
and you pray the lord your soul to take.

Turns out
I needn't have worried about the house.
My life is on fire.

04/07/2009

Posted on 04/07/2009
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