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Barbecue

John Wagner

I turned the gas
on high,
let it flow
a couple
of seconds
before I lifted
the lid and clicked
the starter
button.

I didn’t hear
the whoosh
of ignition,
nor could I see
the flame,
but I could feel
the heat
above the grid
with a tentative reach
of my hand.

Suddenly
a butterfly
flew up,
frantic from the belly
of the grill,
through the charred,
encrusted bars,
out onto the patio
and the fragrance
of flowers.

What possessed
a butterfly
to descend
into the darkened pit
of a Weber Kettle
is anybody’s guess.

Mine is,
from time to time,
we all forsake
the light of day
for dark
and dingy places,
and some of us
are lucky
to escape,
our lives intact,
before the hellish fire
clips
our fragile wings..

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