Black Saturday is
demon’s breath parching, searing, crisping grass
stinging, slapping wind, beating us back with heat
possums dropping dead out of trees
birds gasping to cool down, backs to the wind
lethargic dogs, panting in the shade
absent cat
the smell of eucalypt
radio cackling out warnings
brown stain moving across the horizon
smoke acrid on the tongue
conflagration — the fire’s ravenous hunger — gluttony of fire
firefighters’ acts of heroism versus firebug’s acts of terrorism
a toll too terrible to contemplate: people, houses, wildlife
press slavering like dogs for the next emotional outburst
stories of tragedy to unite a state, a nation, a world
quiet grief of the survivors — dignity
our rapacious need for stories, for images
— knowledge we’re conspirators with the press
sensoryoverloadsensoryoverloadsensoryoverloadsensoryoverload
3 years ago • 0 notes