It was a spectacular fall. The dilapidated home across the street from us had been used for training exercises for fire fighters and when they were done, they burned the whole structure – razed it to the ground. The last thing standing was the brick chimney, tall and regal, doing its job until the very end. One was reminded of the sea captain, the last man to abandon ship when all hope is lost. Finally, even the chimney toppled with a satisfyingly loud crash, sending ash and smoke into the air all around it. Brick and mortar, sturdy and dependable…fallen. Whatever we build will eventually be undone; that is the way of things. Only souls last forever.
We went over the next day to survey the carnage and take photos. A place that was once someone’s home and that held countless memories had become just a pile of rubble. I thought of those words at the end of Shelley’s poem Ozymandias: “Round the decay of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, the lone and level sands stretch far away.” When the mighty have fallen, the hubris is gone. Just a hint of sadness was in the air.
I’ll probably delete this in the morning.
Lynniebeemuseoday 