Poetry Report: 19 Firefighters

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“Fourth of July explosions
open their electric peels”

A tribute to the 19 who so bravely gave their lives in Arizona.

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Look to the Mountain


Fourth of July explosions
open their electric peels
with dark fruit
of stars and smoke.

In the crowd,
there are smiles
but there are also canes,
missing teeth, rotting shoes,
twisted spines. We've all paid
a price to be here.

Does anyone care if we live or die?

Silhouetted in the sunset,
19 new stones
take their place on the mountain,
heavy with the weight
of a million thank yous.

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