Burying Pompeii--Ashes to Ashes
It was just a day...
The day I awoke,
people laughed,
kids scampered and played.

It was just a day.
The city beneath echoed
with happiness and prosperity.
I felt the calm air.

It was just a day.
I sensed a shift in me--a rumble.
I cracked and crumbled.
I saw people gaze.

It was just a day.
Chaos, the struggle of survival.
The people ran and hid and fled for the ocean.
Loved ones shielded each other.

It was just a day.
I could no longer hold it, I began unleashing my dormancy.
There it was. The smoke a signal: run far, as far as you can, don’t let me catch you.
My insides covered civilization: burning, smoking, destroying.

It was just a day.
The ash settled and the screams silenced. The people were still here--forever frozen.
Statues in place of bodies, ash in place of faces, dust in place of souls. Buildings shelter captive spirits.
No more scampering, no more laughing, no more playing: you must hold your position for eternity.

It was just a day.
I felt a shift, not in me, not in the sea, but in the city.
Not harsh nor violent, nothing like me--it was settling.
The calm air, now filled with despair.

It was just a day… a terrible day…