World On Fire Poem by Joe Fraccalvieri

The world was consumed by Satan-- the Liar
Men's faith was entombed… Christ's body, exhumed
The Church and its Pope, placed on a pyre
I witnessed a land that was filled with disease
I saw pestilence reign and justice wane
Kindness was lost, and with it, the word "Please"

Giving was gone, replaced by desire
Compassion and Hope fell into the mire
Violence increased-- mercy started to taper

I watched from a hill while the world was on fire
Cities crumbled… Every single skyscraper
The sun remained still… The flames raging higher
Gone were the trees… The rivers, now vapor
Boiling over, were the seas…
Mountains crumpled, like paper

I looked down on creation from high up above
Amid chaos and ruin, I searched for God's love

The heavens were bare… No clouds rolling by
No birds in the air… An earth without sky

I rang every rung on the ladder of time
I grabbed and I clung with each step I would climb

I felt every pain
from the birth of Mankind to Humanity's prime…
Every loss… Every gain… Every grace… Every crime
Every virtue… Every falter… Every truth… Every lie

From the depths of my mind to heights so sublime
I flung my soul from my self-- if only to fly

Standing before me-- was an angel of the Lord
And in the midst of his hands he wielded a sword
Yet, there was a sense of peace-- Yes, even pride,
that I perceived of him in the glint of his eye

He took my arm-- shook his head-- and heaved a great sigh
He looked at me and something seemed to shout from inside
And I stayed ‘til the end… Just to see the world die

And when it was over, the angel then spoke
But no matter how hard I would try (and I still wonder why)
I didn't understand what he said

And as I awoke, I told him, "Goodbye"… Then started to cry
when I found myself back in my bed