Air Raid Sirens: Michael Roque

Michael Roque

Michael Roque, a Los Angeles native, now residing in the Middle East, embarked on his writing odyssey amidst the bleachers of Pasadena City College. His literary voyage has traversed continents, gracing the pages of esteemed publications such as Aurora Quarterly, Veridian Review, and CascadeJournal. roque.write09@gmail.com

During a 60-second air raid siren-

Pompeii becomes the norm of society.

With an eruption,

fire flashes across the sky,

bringing shopping bags to concrete,

crawling traffic to stop

and bustling streets to be abandoned for shelters,

where huddling neighbors meet.

boom-

BOom-

BOOM!

Up above.

During a 60-second air raid siren-

people left outside lie flat on the ground,

while the foundation of the city shakes.

A life of a million sounds

is replaced with a single song

sung by Chaos

with a chorus of booms, 

distant and closing in-

boom-

BOom-

BOOM!

Following a 60-second air raid siren-

someone lies entombed 

beneath a ceiling that failed to secure them-

A household of memories ripped apart,

while all else embrace silence and relief 

in the hours until the eruptions restart-

until again faced with Pompeii-

air raid sirens, 

bigger booms, hopes and racing hearts.

---

Setu, October 2024