Escape

Happiness has settled 'round me

like a homemade blanket, soft and warm

I have finally found my place

in this large cruel world

My family is close and safe

And then the world starts to shake

The local fault lines, all three

have begun to move, per prophesy

Fire explodes in houses near

and only one escape route's clear

My older brother grabs his family

determined to get out

His wife and children are the only

ones he truly cares about

He makes it to his truck and yells for all to hear

"I will not wait, but I have room,

so join me if you can."

I know that is the only way

to leave this mass destruction

I run to join him and grab on just as the truck starts moving

I look back and see my sister running fast to join me

The fires are raging, my skin is hot

I reach my hand out far

My brother will not listen as I plead for him to stop

She can't catch up, but if we stop, not one of us will make it

I try again with all my effort, and as I do I see

the road behind her exploding up and lava rushing towards her

I'm filled with desperation, do I leave her or do I join her?

And then the asphalt swallows her

as we cross over the fault line

and everything I ever loved is gone

except my brother

He has his own family though

and I don't want to be a burden

So I wish him luck with his new life

and jump off of the truck

I watch in isolation as the town that I grew up in

and everything I ever knew gets burned and lost and ravaged

And then I wake and sit in silence

as my heartbeat starts to slow

I fight off sadness and thank the stars

that I managed to leave

Life isn't perfect, but I know I'm where I'm meant to be