There she sits
On charred remains.
The fire burned for days.
The smokey plumes rose
Colored black and gray.
The flames flicker
Behind tired eyes,
And hope is an ember
Dimmed and barely alive.
No one heard the dreadful screams.
Or saw the labored breath.
Cast aside in expectation
Awaiting certain death.
A silent killer
Internal daze.
It watched beyond
the smokey haze.
Awaited every moment.
Fear beats brave.
No one looked deep enough
Just surface shot her grace.
Carrying on and pushing on,
Tears never rolled down
her weathered face.
The broken pieces shattered,
Mysteriously replaced.
By hidden hands
and unknown names.
The shards once scattered,
Appear perfectly placed.
To those who see but never see
The ulcers of burning pain,
Her challenge is to breathe.
Consume the air..
Hold it in.
..And breathe again.
But it’s a choice,
And time tumbles in the wind.
Somewhere beneath the rubble
Is a point where all begins.
The swirling debris, ferocious,
Beating her in and out.
And there flying free,
Her dreams escape her now.
As morning sun arises,
And newness hollers, “Free!”
Lies the skeleton of survival,
No longer needed or in need.
Homeless in emotion,
A vagabond in tattered wear,
Leaves behind the body
Another victim
In despair.
When you see the flames a’risin
And smoke leads the way.
Stop and take a moment,
To ask if they’re okay.
Authentic Truths 