California Houses

by Nick Jaina

there are California houses burning
California houses
burning graduation photos
tax returns and cover letters
abandoned novels burning
walnut desks and closets burning
California houses burning
California

I returned your letter
I said boy I don't believe it
before I even opened it
something in the stamp you chose
said “I will never let you be
the way you want to be
it will always be
always be
always be about me”

I stood in the salesroom
I said "I will own this table
it will sit there in our kitchen
in our house that I will also own
we will serve our friends
we will fall into the evening
we will laugh about our houses
how they’re burning how they’re burning”
burning like the campfire
at your uncle's cabin campfire
that song you played at campfire
on your Grandpa's old guitar
you couldn't ever tune guitar
breathed it in too soon guitar
the smoke, the smoke, the smoke
of California houses burning
you took it in like Christmas
all the spices and designs of Christmas
the smoke of excess
choke of excess
Mexican divorce of Christmas
that's the trick of fire
that it can warm you, all that fire
even as it cuts you
fills you up and shuts you up
that's the trick of fire
burning California houses
California houses burning