house on fire

flames appear
out of somewhere
in one minute
a licking flash and burst
into a small inferno
in two minutes
the ceiling catches fire
everything in the room
is burning
engulfed by fire
in four minutes
most of the house
is flaming
small explosions
fill every space
in six minutes
within that obstinate crackle
horror and conflagration
the entire structure
engulfed by fiery destruction
flames shooting
out of shattered windows
broken by small explosions
blaze fueled by tinder
and scattered ammunition
rupturing the gates of hell
in six and a half minutes
a gutted woman
bursts out
tumbling out
of her front door
in the next
instant
she runs back in
broken people gathering
in the token street
yelling for her
to please come out
another fifteen seconds
the woman emerges
falling down
those steep front stairs
crumpling to the ground
sobbing and hysterical
this is her home
in eight minutes
the two story house
is completely afire
that poor woman panicking
surely others manic
clearly neighbours
maniacal yelling
gathering onlookers
calling for someone
who is lost somewhere
in the burning building
another four minutes
the doomed house
is totally consumed
with rising flames
with raging fire
in thirteen minutes
the first police car
arrives with lights flashing
another two minutes
somewhere in the distance
a fire truck is screaming
rumbling towards the blaze
in fifteen minutes
after that first uncompromising flame
the first stomping fire truck
arriving to this tragic scene
clomping firemen are slow
pulling their limp hoses
like fumbling puppets
on crisscrossed strings
another stumbling minute
creeping crawling by
tangled time stops
universally still flying by
finally a gurgle and a trickle
water down a twisted garden hose
spraying from the first
thumping fire truck pump
the house is lost
someone inside
choked by smoke
fire wins again
consumed within those walls
someone burned
now dead
what could have been
should a forgotten candle
become a misbegotten wind
instead this crying disaster
those dreadful seconds
amount to lacking moments
precious raging minutes
apprising this catastrophic count
endless reckless inferno time
with its crazy feckless lustre
fire with its explosive bluster
infernus with its shocking crime

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