image from willametteweek.com
Dragon’s Breath
“A wise man will not pour wildfire on a brazier.”
--George R. R. Martin.
No hillside
is too steep
for the undulating
wave of flames
from a voracious
wildfire;
fueled by
one discarded cigarette,
aided by steeping temps
and howling winds--
stew of death.
Top of the larch is
bare--lightning struck, becoming spire
or charred sad steeple.
Glenn Buttkus
Posted over at dVerse Poets Pub
steeping temps - a powerful ingredient to this infernal recipe - really liked the use of that phrase, very original to me and conveyed the urgency of flight from danger.
ReplyDeleteI fear that the fires will continue to come... the steeping temps turn trees to tinder
ReplyDeleteI like that closing haiku - the aftermath, desolate.
ReplyDeletethe fire is like a predator here, waiting for an opportunity...
ReplyDeleteI fear more wildfires due to the heating of the earth.
ReplyDeletesometimes the forests get so dry in the underbrush that a flicker can start a conflagration.
So sad
ReplyDeleteA terrifying scene, Glenn, with the ‘undulating wave of flames’ and the bare-lightning struck larch – all of that from a discarded cigarette and the stew of death! I agree with Sarah about
ReplyDeletethe losing haiku and the desolate aftermath.
I especially admire the closing haiku.. poignant in its reality and depth!
ReplyDeleteVery vivid picture of how one small action can spark so much destruction.
ReplyDeleteVivid, Glenn, terrifying and topical....JIM
ReplyDeletePerfect title. You used "steep" twice which was real nice....but "stew of death", that is a poignant and disturbing phrase.
ReplyDeleteDragon breath indeed. I fear more fires and disasters. I wonder when mankind will be more vigilant and to think some don't believe in global warming.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's terrible that huge fires can sprout from one careless action sometimes.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Glenn. Such destruction caused by carelessness.
ReplyDeleteI like your description of that fire as a "stew".
ReplyDeleteVery vivid and compelling. I also like how your final haiku reminds us that destruction can be a natural-struck match, too.
ReplyDelete'stew of death'—apocalyptic language here.
ReplyDeleteWell said!
ReplyDeleteVery cool Glenn. You hit the trifecta of "steep"! This is a powerful write, filled with sad truth. But fire is a necessay violent aspect of the natural world. Flame forges the golden chalice. I love this one brother!
ReplyDelete“Stew of death” indeed. Good use of the word steep under horrible circumstances. Was horrified by the demise of the Californian town Paradise which literally turned into a raging hell.
ReplyDeleteDragons are hard to fight, we are they. Furious pursuing rhythms. Terrifying.
ReplyDeleteLove that first verse. Unrelenting dragon indeed.
ReplyDeletePat