Game Of Jeopardy Poem by Mark Heathcote

Surrounded-on-all sides by hellfires.
Your castle—islanded, unapproachable
the sun is an added cinder just visible,
a landscape changed by eucalyptus, pyres
falling like pylons among the living
and the dead. All things scrambled in defence;
self-survival, no time for misgiving
while fire-fighters spare no expense
engage the flames, the intense smoke and heat
with their time, their all, their life-energy
sacrifice to quell the tide of defeat?
Beat flames back in a game of jeopardy.
So others may be saved or returned home
something resembling a war aerodrome.