Through vegetation
in reclamation mode,
once-upon-a-time streets
compete and recede
against the onslaught of nature.
Empty roads split and crack,
un-paving themselves
while heated rocks spit rain back
into the atmosphere.
Steam and smoke
now choke the air.
Blackdamp rising
everywhere.
Stoic, leafless maple trees,
insides burnt,
are white as birch.
Steps and stairs
that lead nowhere
save memories and
our own imaginings.
Foundations of dreams
reduced to rubble,
burst bubbles and fear;
Municipalis Non-Grata,
this town’s not welcome here.
The fire is stoked,
a century burn.
Your zip code revoked,
a lesson to learn.
Yet still, some remain
despite the pain
as their “Rights” burn away
beneath their feet.