Vanishing Stars

Smothered skies of soot sink into raging flames Torches lift to boundless heavens, blanketing faces with Autumn air too weary and weighted to breathe Infuriated fire storm consumes ferociously Rampant fury creates a stairway to the vanishing stars While the wild inferno blots out the moonlight Ashes float for miles through a thick fog of smoke Yesterday the sun sparkled in an endless sapphire sky Today an amber blaze threatens to engulf the darkness Over crackling timber, choking constellations scatter Terror overtakes the once serene woodland dale Homes are abandoned, cherished keepsakes fuel the fury Ethereal howls from hell's hounds spark nightmares Sirens wailing from the frontlines ascend with prayers Trembling hands and hearts lift to Heaven Astral visions of celestial illumination in the mind's eye Raise hopes for tomorrow's sacred star-filled sky to return Sanctification of smoldering ground will bring rebirth By Rhonda Johnson-Saunders, February 15, 2012 for Stairway to the Stars Contest (Linda-Marie, the Sweetheart of PS) Seventh place