Scott in the Burnt House
Even brick may burn, and bone –
Fire has an elemental power.
Then stay in the burned out house.
Rescue what you can from the ravages
For what can survive the flames?
Take a taper to your memories.
Later, I cannot linger on the horror
Of Zelda and the others in the asylum
Desperate bangings on a locked door.
How many of us live in a house of fire
Without once putting out the flames?
The stale smell of smoke stays with us still.
Scott in the burnt house,
Completing “Tender is the Night”.
The flames out, the fire still roaring.
Adrian Slatcher writes poetry, fiction and music and lives in Manchester. He has recently had work published online and offline in Verse Kraken, Bare Fiction, Unthology 4 and Best of Manchester Poets.