Fire on my street

I heard the horns blare as they’ve seemed to

four times a day

but this time

slow to a halt and rumble

outside

three overlapping jurisdictions

ambling about

fire logic predominates

different assets, different trucks

twenty, thirty engines, cruisers?

spanning a quarter mile?

One small house steaming smoking

up the night

another battalion assembles

flips open the side rack

particular axes, specialized pry bars

hanging

grasped

the sub-normals of the neighborhood

gawk

a few of us about

Nothing much happening

the street is shut down

a major artery

but a time of day

not many notice or care

about three guys

doing the actual work

no one seems hurt

just another slow change

rupturing

our street