Hiss

It’s the hiss
of fire and
water meeting.
The sound
that sends
birds to the air.
The sound
that startles the woodland.
The sound
that sends the largest bear to the farthest tree.
A once calm riverbank
is engulfed in flames.
The birds return
days later
to find a riverbank in ruins.
Surprisingly the river still runs.
So do the creatures’ spirits.

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John Davies-Schley, age 9
Denver, Colorado
Submitted Independently