Snow which quells
fire meshes cinders
of cold and heat
falling too late to save
the man and woman
dogs now search for
in stark and dwelling chill.
The missing woman’s
ghost drops her
wedding ring in a jar of
air and ash which
somehow survived
unbroken and turns to
seek her tunnel of light.
While searchers probe
smoldering wreckage
across town another
ghost shifts through
shards of photos and
wishes he had
forgiven them all.
About the Poem
When I read the various news stories about the fires in Colorado, especially about the missing 91-year-old woman, I began to imagine the two missing people as ghosts–and what they would do in the aftermath. I was also intrigued with the notion of snow putting out the wildfires, and my images of “cinders of cold heat” took life in my imagination.
About the Author
Claire Matturro has been a newspaper reporter, a lawyer, and has taught at two state universities. An author of several traditionally published novels, she and her husband live in Florida. Claire is an associate editor at Southern Literary Review.
Beautiful!