I Watched a City Burn

I watched a city burn.
it fell to it's knees and couldn't regain the strength
to stand.
some people called them martyrs.
consumed by hatred
and the flames within
they were incinerated.
new words took on cliched overused connotations.
armageddon. catastrophe. tragedy.
I hate that word.
demons trampled on faerie skulls
the crunching was heard for miles
or was it just the steel?
the devil smoked a large cigar
and put it out on earth
creating an ashen hole.

life is too short,
many of us learned that that day.
however what we didn't learn
was that it's too short to be consumed with hate.
because then we are no better than they.

The missing are not forgotten.
The dead are not mourned,
but celebrated.
The heroes are missed.
Because we need their courage.