Before the fire had started

When the fire had started,

All she had were two minutes,

To pack up her room

And all that was in it.

Deciding what to save,

And what to leave to the ashes.

It all flooded in waves

And came back in flashes.

Frozen in time,

To when they first got the keys.

Before crying and laughter,

And friendships and teas.

“Don’t worry we’re safe,

We’re all okay”,

Is what she was told

As they all rushed away.

“But what about my dolls,

My toys and my teddies?”

The moments, the years,

The tears and the memories?

All she could think of

As they departed,

Was the life she had known,

Before the fire had started.