Pompeii

by Jimmy Clawson

Dusty rows of houses crawl one after another
Maelstroms of dirt fight and grope along the endless line of stone fence
A storm of fire draws nearer
    driving toward the homes of clay
  People scream because they know their fate
They know the fate that isn’t
    wasn’t
    hasn’t been
        until now
Thunderous explosions roar from the mountain that has always been silent
Mud and molten ash swim in a descending pool of flames eager for survival by

extermination

A second boom echoes throughout the naked valley
A second pool descends faster, surpassing the first
A row of houses is devoured by the voracious conflagration
Another     and another     follow

The descent continues unstoppable
It reaches the confusion of the swarm
The clamor of the villagers comes no longer
The blaze moves on
c o v e r i n g

every house and inhabitant in a thick glaze of cement
Quietness sneaks into the secluded valley for the first time in hundreds of years

Darkness solidifies, drap
ing the barren valley in peace.

Home Up Sechura Desert / Lake La Niña Stolen Words Two Dads, a Melody, and a Day Pompeii

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