white hot and insufficient
continue to fly       the words fly
from the corners of
forgotten
not-forgotten houses     the
words
flame red and inconsistent

insist

on being said                     the words
insist on resolutions
vaguely made
sometime last … do you remember?
that fall flat
jet black
and incandescent             the words
refuse to be
lifted
refuse our reasons refuse to be used
the words fail us fail me fail October
yet everyone is talking about the fire

my seven-year-old quietly says

– Santa Rosa, October 2017

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