“Haunting Flames in a Tormented Night”

A/N: The dash (-) signals a stanza break. This was written in memory of those who died and to those who lost someone close to them at The Station in West Warwick, Rhode Island on February 20, 2003. The club caught fire due to pyrotechnics used during a concert, which were not allowed. 97 people were killed that night.

Flames rising fast and high.

Hundreds trapped

with no way out.

Most of them trampled

or taken

by heavy black smoke.

Help couldn’t get there

fast enough.

-

You came to me

and told me

the death count so far,

about the fun times

with your best friend back home

and I didn’t understand why.

But when you said

you wouldn’t see him again

and ran out the door

with tears in your eyes,

it was then

that I understood.

-

Everyone wishes

they could have done something

to prevent what happened.

But more than that,

I wish I had run after you.

Run after you

and wrapped my arms around you

and never let go.

Now regret fills me

every time

I think about it

because I didn’t,

and I still don’t know why.

-

But the past is the past

and we can’t go back and change it.

So we must go on.

We must live on

and remember the good times

the beautiful memories

we hold dear to us.

Those people of our past

that we held close

for so long,

though they may be gone,

in our hearts they will remain

our dearest relatives,

our closest friends

forever,

and always...