salvation

an educational facility was caught in a steam explosion
of those who were spared
many stood in the shelter of a stand of trees as the steam
killed anyone who was inside
afterward
a white and very old woman told me something that could help me
with algebra as she died
later, at a decadent awards ceremony,
i interviewed the children of 1970's rock stars
who had that perfect kid hair that flops long
later than that
i received cakes from a man
who said he remembered the old woman
and who also cherished the algebra hint
i saw the most blackbirds ever
hovering the word "grackle" over their
numerous clusters
and woke up assuming
that they were real