Taste Of Freedom

On Fire

--------This poem was written about the wildfires in Greece, my home country. All of the experiences mentioned below are true stories. My thoughts are with the people affected by these fires.--------

This country is shit I can't lie

Ever since I was little I remember one thing

The fires

The fires

They're everywhere

They can't be put out

Houses burning

People dying

Animals being burnt alive

And people jumping off cliffs to save themselves, only to meet a tragic end

Each year at least once, a summer memory is a fire.

I remember being at camp and knowing that we might have to evacuate.

Wondering with my friends what we should grab quickly in order to survive.

I remember watching the fire from my bathroom window,

Knowing it's getting closer to my friend's house

Knowing she's supposed to have evacuated but the authorities can't let them leave because everywhere they look, they are surrounded by fire.

I remember offering up my house to people who have no idea if their houses will survive,

Who have no idea if their father -who stayed behind to try and save that house with a garden hose and a couple of buckets- will survive the night.

I remember the sirens that night

I remember the evacuation texts

I didn't sleep much

I don't think anyone did

And the next day I had to go to my lesson and pretend that nothing was happening

Pretend like it wasn't true,

That my friend wasn't answering her phone

Pretend like my friend's gardens didn't burn while their houses barely escaped the fire

Like a man didn't kill himself because he couldn't see his house get burned for the third time.

This country is just playing pretend

A master at ignoring while hoping their problems will go away.