lights out in the heartland
the grass was covered in ash
a delicate dirty white
easily blown by the wind
waving through the neighborhood
like a thin blanket slightly floating
dogs without leashes herded
themselves through the narrow street
as if instructed to follow some leader
the sirens never went off
and any kind of free or paid service
simultaneously became inoperable
whatever it was that fell from the sky
shaking the earth for maybe sixty seconds
arrived with an incomparable sound
leaving silence in its wake
or had we all become deaf
september two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
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