THE FIRE

I was playing on my computer
When I heard the doorbell ring
So I hastened to the living room
To answer the darned thing.

It was a surprise for me
To see a fireman at my door
And even more surprised
When he gave me ‘what for’!

“Don’t you know” is what he said
“That you can’t burn trash
“Inside the city and if you do
“You’ll have to pay a lot of cash.”

“Who? Me? “ was my answer.
“ I don’t do that sort of stuff."
”Well, he just pointed to the yard.
And I could see why he was tough.

In my parkway was a pile of trash
And it was going up in smoke.
A fire truck was at the site;
It was really not a joke.

The fire was almost out as we spoke
But it could have been really bad
My elm tree was very close;
To see it gone would have been sad.

And if a wind had been blowing,
Then perhaps a burning house.
And I was inside all this time
Moving my computer mouse.

I never knew how it started
But don’t have much doubt
Some one passing by
Threw a hot cigarette out.

The trash was gone,
The parkway grass was dead.
The firemen went away
And nothing more was said.

jhs