Fire in the Rain

Helen Hoang

It’s not easy to turn the wheel

In a world of driverless cars

Where each vehicle aimlessly follows the rest

Disregarding the traffic, the roadblocks, the problems

But all it takes is one 

Driven

To look through the front window

And see what lies ahead

It’s hard to run in the opposite direction

Of a rampaging stampede

A chaotic rush of animals

Each blaming another for the panic

But all it takes is one

Human

To turn around

And oppose the crowd

It’s difficult to light a match

In a downpour of cats and dogs

Where paws pounce on each spark

And barks compete with the clicks of a lighter

But if one stubborn spark lingers

It’ll fire up others

And together they’ll ignite

From spark to sparkle, glitter to gleam, flicker to flare

A flame grows

And despite the competing torrent of the clouds

The flame flourishes

The once spitting sky, now tearing,

Defeated by the fire in the rain