smile while you burn

at first they say,

it's much better

for everyone if you smile

while you burn, and here

hold these matches too--

then suddenly

there's a gun to your head

and through gritted teeth

it's, c'mon, you're gonna burn

either way, so why not

smile while you burn?

but they won't shoot, it's

too quick that way and

all that's left is the truth--

tell it, with matches

in hand: you smile too,

we're both on fire.

Reviews

[PianoandPage]

mmm. wow.

so as i read this i felt as it went along the "camera" capturing the action was pulling back... revealing more and more... each new zoom out changing the meaning and fate of the players.

this has a bit of philosophical sheen to it too.

[Stephen Ownby]

Kind of surreal, I like it. There's and underlying defiance here.