STEPHEN CRAMER

Villanelle for T

I’ve seen someone, just because he can,
say he'd halt a fire with a flask of gasoline
then go & sell matches to each burning man,

a person who, when he first began,
was three quarters bark & one quarter smokescreen.
Here's a person who, just because he can,

spreads wildfire as though the plan
all along was being the first on the scene
to sell matches to each burning man.

I've seen someone smirk while creating a ban
in order to grease his fire machine,
someone who, because he's told he can,

asserts that some lives are worth more than
others, & that some flesh you can just demean.
Turns out, it's easy to sell matches to a burning man.

As flames smear the country he's just there to fan
them to infernal heights. We've all seen
the fire & must douse the flames before he can
sell another pack of matches to a burning man.

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