-^-for posterity-^-

it snowed black soot today. i was sitting outside of our cozy kitchen when it all happened. the blue sky with violently pink and purple clouds opened up and ashes rained down on us all. i sat staring up at the sky wondering why it was all happening and what it all meant. i decided it was nothing and went back to staring except this time i didn’t think about anything.

there are a lot of brush fires in these parts. the area is dry and it’s a good time to burn anything worth burnin’. many people clear fields this way and thick trails of smoke run up to the sky horizontally. some people build small brush fires next to the roads and you walk and ride through them. they’re harmless and you hold your breath because you don’t know what’s in the smoke. the smoke wafts around you like you’re wading through weightless water.

the fires on the streets are made out of a variety of things. sometimes they burn old, dried coconuts. they have been drank by thirsty vietnamese people and then discarded. the sun sucks out all of the moisture and they burn easily. all you have to do is put them on a pile and light a match. sometimes on campus they burn small piles of leaves and sticks. there are open areas with large trees and the sticks and leaves and anything else the tree lets fall are gathered into small groups. they’re all lit at the same time and they all leave horizontal smoke trails up to the sky. all the trails point the same direction but some are closer than others. i stand and watch them burn.

there’s something fascinating about fire and there’s something beautiful and mysterious about smoke.