Smoke

Fire follows me everywhere

car fires, apartment fires, laundry room fires

igniting nearby until I wonder if I'm throwing off sparks

do my shoes become matches striking off pavement?

am I leaving flames behind in my wake?

do you smell the smoke clinging to me or is it a memory burned into my nostrils,

vivid and ashy from blackened walls, melted ceiling fans, hours of tiptoeing around broken glass taking photos for insurance adjusters,

assessing damages, scrubbing the smell out of my scalp

wash, rinse, repeat, repeat, repeat

how many times does the average person check a smoke detector?

are you memorizing evacuation plans

or is that just me waiting for the next alarm to go off?