That night,
Abundance washed over us.
Sorrow
Compassion
Whisky
Anger
And love.
In the aftermath
Scorched earth.
Trees, emaciated.
Nothing stirred.
Soon enough, though
Shoots persevered
Achingly green.
Buzzing returned, then birdsong.
Some wildflowers lie dormant
Until flames explode their seeds
A glorious profusion of blooms
In the season after fire.
Poem by Jan Bottcher
Jan Bottcher had a long career in business and poetry had not been a part of her life for many years. She joined an online poetry group in April 2020 as a pandemic coping strategy and found a new appreciation for poetry in all its forms.