A HOUSE ABLAZE—COMMUNITY TRAGEDY

With a house ablaze and naught

but a concerned neighborhood

bucket brigade trying to douse the flames

one may count the structure doomed,

the community forever changed

with the first smell of smoke.

People in general will put aside

long standing differences

in an attempt to save

community memories of better days

dying in the fire of troubled
smoke choked present haze.

Yet there are always more than a few

without care or conscience

will watch the vain attempt saying

“why bother, hauling water is for fools”

not ever realizing

they stand idly by disregarding the fact

that with the addition of a single letter

bother is changed to brother.

Families that will not fight the fires

as best they unaided can together,

are in their separation by division,

doomed to hazy historical extinction.

Life insists it nobler

to die trying to fight

the ever increasing flaming heat

than live on the sidelines at dénouement

passing pronouncements pedantic

tailor made  for preordained failure.

© M Durfee

6/29/13

I’d like to wish my way older by 13 months brother Doug

a happy and gentle entry into his 60^th year!

Good lord I am glad that I grew

to be twice your size when we were teenagers.