Napalm


Watching his children play in the garden
Glancing over to his wife in the kitchen

A faint buzz in the background
Growing louder, louder
Seconds mold into minutes

Curious he ventures outside
Aircrafts by the dozens dart through the sky
A pungent gel released from them
One by one

His ears tune in
Screams of pain and horror
No thought
Rushes inside
Grabs his wife and kids

Cries are hushed
By the hand of death

Thoughts scattered
Feet aimlessly moving
To the beat of his palpating heart

Silence chokes him
Something’s wrong

An explosion of heat
Across his entire body
No pain
Just insufferable heat

Raises his hand eyelevel to his face
Blood
Looks down to his still feet
Blood
Reaches for his hair
Gone








*stanza break
Looks down into a nearby puddle
Examines his face

Blood
Nothing there but
Blood

A cold rush
Petrifies his spine

Look into his eyes
No sorrow
Or pain
No longing
Or love

Just blood