I watched in disbelief as you set fire to your life
Stunned by the combustion of acrimony
Gone is the smiling mask you wore in public places
Now there is no shielding the smoldering rage
You poured gasoline on your husband and children
Dropped the lit match – walked away, no turning back
Suffocating from buried resentment, you exploded but
Your children have become the casualties of your incineration
This firestorm you lit now rages beyond your target as the
Collateral damage from your inferno spreads each day
I watch one friend after another sport burns from your frenzy
Slowly they turn away from you, blackened by incessant rage
The black smoke of narcissistic desire must have blinded you both
For you two continue to fan the dying embers of love into flames of hate
Twisted, this sick determination to outdo each other and ‘win’
But there are no winners among the charbroiled of your family and friends
The remnants of your marriage rest in a burned out, hollowed shell
Will all your relationships soon end up the same?
How dare you pretend adults fool around with matches!
Your innocent children roast dead center in your flames
How much longer can this firestorm burn at such a rampant pace?
This raging wildfire need soon find an end
Before all that remains is cold, black ash
Blowing desolate upon the wind
K. Mercy Sides © 2011
Tags: writes, poetry, fire, family
