The Smoke

The smoke doesn’t just rise
It invades
Attacks
Rolls across the hills like a beast
Snarling in silence
Covering
Coating
Lingering
It pushes into your lungs
My lungs
Everyone’s lungs
Like it owns the place
Doesn’t ask permission
Doesn’t care
Kicks down the door and sets up shop

The smoke takes ownership
Sights, smells, even sounds
Blurry blanket
Noxious noise
Seething memories
A wicked paintbrush
Acidic, caustic, choking
Forests become ash
Homes turned into headlines
Directional movement
Away
Far, far, away
Yet the smoke chases
Hunting, searching, stalking
Heavy
Like a misty fist
Punching hard
And then even harder

You can’t fight the smoke
It comes
Stays when it wants
Leaves and then returns
Hides the truth
The destruction
What was is no more
Only the smoke remains
The sky is bruised
Horizon gone
Landscape redrawn
Like betrayal
Consumption
The world is burning
No escape
This is a warning
You can’t ignore it
It won’t let you
It gets worse
Sits on your chest
Scratches at your eyes
Your throat
Everywhere

Will it stop
This time
Maybe yes
Maybe no
There’s still fuel
The fires still rage
And so we wait
We hope
And we choke

Additional Reading

R.J. (Ralph) Schwartz is an American poet, author, website owner, and online publisher. His writing spans several poetry collections—ranging from spiritual and romantic to fear-driven explorations—and even extends into science fiction. Notable works include:

• Normal Was the First Casualty – A Collection of Dystopian  Poetry
• Hope – Inspirational and Spiritual  Poetry
• Things That Go Bump in the Night – Poetry of Fear and Fright
• The Lover’s Thread – Poetry for Couples
• Poetry of the Human Condition – The Ups and Downs of Modern Living
• The Secrets of the Moon (Science Fiction Novel)

Schwartz’s work is described as purposefully wordy, richly descriptive, and thematically grounded in nature, romance, antiquity, and forgotten histories. He writes regularly on platforms he manages, including The Creative Exiles, a collaborative venue for writers, and The Gypsy Thread, which is focused on pagan rituals, witchcraft, the strange & supernatural, and the unexplained.

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R J Schwartz

I write about everything and sometimes nothing at all.I'm fascinated by old things, rusty things, abandoned places, or anywhere that a secret might be unearthed.I'm passionate about history and many of my pieces are anchored in one concept of time or another.I've always been a writer, dating back to my youth, but the last decade has been a time of growth for me.I'm continually pushing the limitations of vocabulary, syntax, and descriptive phrasing.

Latest posts by R J Schwartz (see all)

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