The Fires

The Fires

It was California and, in the spring,

And a stray lighting bolt or careless cigarette flung.

Then it was red and gold and black on the mountain.

And a thousand miles away a TV

Showed the monster swallow the forests.

And the man threw open his window and screamed:

FIRE!

But the people below didn’t see,

And the people below didn’t care.

And all of the fires kept burning.

It was Ukraine and the end of winter,

And a thousand Z lightning bolts.

Then it was Red and red in the cities.

And thousands of miles away a TV

Showed the monsters ravaging the land.

And the man threw open his window and screamed:

FIRE!

But the people below wouldn’t see,

And the people below wouldn’t care.

And all of the fires kept burning.

It is Nashville and Louisville, and it is spring,

And a thousand bullets like lightning flung.

Then it was red in the bank and red in the school.

And a few hundred miles away my TV

Shows the monsters in the legislatures swallow their conscience.

And I threw open my window and screamed:

FIRE!

But the people I see don’t see.

And the people I see won’t care.

And all of the fires just keep on burning.

And I can’t stop screaming.

Cliff Lake 4/10/2023

CliffSongs