image

watching the building ablaze,
the smoke and flames,

live on tv,

hearing the accounts,
of people fleeing for their lives,

when slowly,
the televised footage split into two split-screens within screen,

or maybe it happened in an instant:

on the left-side – the building on fire, anchors and guests talking about how this could have happened etc.

and on the right-side – the viewers are informed that the new years eve dubai fireworks display will go ahead etc.

and then it happened,

the countdown began,

5 … 4 …

and by now the entire television screen showed a sailboat building burst into a fireworks extravaganza that may have lasted 25 minutes,

more or less,

while the building ablaze,
just over the bay,

burned away.

and the cheering was audible,
the gasps and oohs and aahs,

and I was dumbfounded.
and no one was saying a thing,

and I felt I had finally,
lost all sense,

i must be mad, i thought.
you are, a voice replied.

all because this did not make sense. at all.

normally suchlike razzmatazz pomp & extravaganza,

and people fleeing burning buildings,

hardly ever meet.

and now, they collided,

making it stark to mad me,

that just as the old saying goes,

the show must go on.

and,
furthermore,
perhaps more ominously,

the show will go on,

to put that magic sparkle into a million waiting eyes,

no matter who fries.

      ________________

pic courtesy: http://www.johncoulthart.com