Wildfires Poem by Mark Heathcote

The crickets are chirping like
There's a silver lining in every cloud
Like, even if there's lightning
It won't ever hit the ground.

My heart is beating in the twilight
Listening to a distant train
Must be carrying an old flame
Crossing a closed forgotten canyon.

It won't go jumping tracks now,
The distance is too long and wide
There's no going back
Or changing her mind.

The firebugs are dancing.
I guess it's just their salubrious way
Bringing joy where there should be none
Bringing tears to my eyes, anon and anon.

Soon, there'll be an ocean
Visiting the earth once bone dry
Soon, there'll be a hawk in the sky
Signalling another's uncalled-for goodbye.

The crickets are chirping like
There's a silver lining in every cloud
Like, even if there's lightning
It won't ever hit the ground.

My soul is making new pastures
In brevity, its trail never changes
It's all these others take deviations
Like wildfires, like wildfires.

Look, fire deputy, it was them crickets
Who caused all those wildfires?
Just ask the firebug's still dancing,
They'll tell you all about those wildfires?