The Neighbor

The cinders of the house next door swirled in strange patterns across the sky;

 they turned orange with the setting of the sun.

 As he stood and stared at the house, memories played out before his eyes:

Two toddlers waddled around the yard, giggling; 

Two preschoolers dashed inside a gate, and wrestled each other to the ground; 

Two elementary students walked primly in new shoes to the bus stop; 

Two middle schoolers did homework on the pink picnic blanket - 

The girl laughed and the boy thought she was beautiful; 

Two high schoolers danced home in the dark, their hands entwined; 

One large house went down in flames; one voice called “Lindsey!” until it was hoarse, and choked with tears - 

And there was nothing he could do. 

Everyone knew; 

Everyone knew they were best friends; 

Everyone knew they would marry;

Everyone knew she was dead; 

Everyone said “sorry for your loss”;

Everyone treated him with condolences;

No one understood his pain.