The Fires of January

The Fires of January

The sky splits open with the crack of a voice,
a siren wailing across the valley,
dragging the night by its throat
as the relentless Santa Ana winds rage.

Flames bloom without mercy,
not like flowers, but like insatiable hunger —
an inferno devouring walls, windows,
the fragile frames of lives.

A sepia photograph curls at the edges,
a memory fully engulfed.
Familiar eyes and familiar mouths
disappear in a burst of ashes.

There is no time for prayer.
Billowing from a wall of fire,
the smoke becomes scripture,
black letters twisting through the air.

Survivors huddle in the shadows of the ridge,
faces singed, staring into the black void.
No ceremony, no prayers, no words…
only the crack of timber collapsing.

And when the flames finally die out,
it is not silence that remains —
just the long, slow crackling
of everything lost in the fires of January.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2025
January 11, 2025

Good evening, friends and family. It seems as if the New Year is off to a rough start seeing the utter devastation of the California wildfires. It is hard to put into words the heartbreak and anguish that people are going through, losing their loved ones, homes, pets, and a lifetime of memories. Some of the footage is frightening and just sad! I am sending out my prayers to all those affected – residents, rescue personnel and firefighters, etc. Hopefully the Santa Ana winds will ease and the firefighters can contain the fire and prevent any more from breaking out. Praying for rain and miracles…. ❤

That’s really all I have this week. It’s my busiest month of the year – so I’m not online as much. I didn’t really use the prompts adequately, no big announcement or ceremony included. When something is weighing so heavy on your mind and you find yourself tuning into social media or the news, only to find things are getting worse – it is hard to feel very creative. But I tend to get anxious and stressed over natural disasters and tragedies like this, so writing helps. And prayers. Stay safe everyone – love you all!

Xoxo
Colleen

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 28.16 – The Big Announcement
Hard Bonus: Use a Ringo Starr lyric or quote (“Photograph”)
Easy Bonus: Include some type of ceremony