House Fire


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I heard sirens in my dream, then suddenly the trucks were in the street. I stood at the front door and watched smoke billow from the upstairs windows of the neighbor’s house. I heard someone shout, “Everyone’s safe but we can’t find the dog.” By the time the firemen got their hoses hooked up, the roof was mostly gone and it was too late. The inside was gutted and when it was over we were looking at a smoldering pile of charred lumber.

That evening I heard a dog barking and I went back to the door and looked directly across the street. I’m pretty sure it was the neighbor’s dog barking at what used to be his house but I was distracted by an extraordinary sunset. I could now stand at my front door and watch the sun going down where my neighbor’s house used to be.

02/18/2017 © Don Lehman

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don@holdingbook.com