Gone.
Everything
Is gone.
I look up at the half fire-eaten pile of ash
That used to be my house.
My home.
Now there is nothing
No childhood toys,
No photos,
No collection of caps.
It was the one that my grandfather and I built over the years.
The dirty old briefcase containing bottle caps from all over the world
Soda, beer, bottled tea
Rare collector edition caps.
The collection bonded my grandfather and I together
When he became my guardian.
But it was more than just a habitual collection
It remeinded me of when I had a real family.
They died in a fire too, my parents.
My grandfather was the first one I ran to after the burial.
But he's gone as well,
His body consumed by the present fatal flames,
As he pushed me out the door into the fireman's arms.
But his old heart couldn't handle the smoke
And he collapsed on the floor.
I yelled for him as I looked back,
But all I could see
Was his hand waving goodbye.
I stared at the flames that wouldn't die,
And cursed them with all my might
Sheding violent tears
For myself mostly.
I wrapped the provided fire safe blanket around me
And sank to the ground,
Wet with water from the hydrant.
I look down,
My head to heavy to keep lifted anymore
And I spy on the ground
A red bottle cap
A coca-cola from New Mexico.
I pick it up and pocket it
And swear to grandfather's spirit
That I would rebuild our collection.
Author notes
option #3- coca-cola picture
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/32248971/?qo=22&q=coca-cola&qh=boost%3Apopular+age_sigma%3A24h+age_scale%3A5
A contest entry
- Four topics, no rubbish 5-minute entries - by Speaking in Tongues.
450 points, ended April 19, 2007, 11 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
^_^
Comments
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Awww, that is so depressing, but beautiful. I loved it, it almost made me cry. I don't know how you do it, Steph, but your poems bring such emotion to me. Great job. I'm giving you three smily faces for this one.
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steph... this is SO SAD. it makes me want to hug you and give you chocolate. It's quite different from the other poems that I've read of yours. It's really good... very convincing. the images are really strong and you make the whole scene believable. Well done!!
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Hard-hitting, and matching colours too. Thank you for the entry, I didn't think anyone was going to use that.
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