Yet Living

When the fire alarm went off at 2:30 in the morning,
Only a short time after I had fallen asleep,
I stumbled to the step ladder and did what I could.

Fire alarms are now hard-wired into the house.
I couldn’t turn the alarm to release the battery,
But I could pull it down and unwire it.
So I pulled off the electrical caps, all three,
And somehow wrestled apart the wires,
All the while, watching the two boys
Sleeping in my bed, hoping they would stay that way.

Finally, finally the blasted device was down.
I walked it out to the car where it could beep
All night, all by itself.

When Phil came home, he went to put it back in place,
But first used his voltmeter to see if the wires were hot.
They were.

Had I considered turning off the breaker before
Undoing all those wires?
Not once.
It was 2:30am!

I suspect I wouldn’t have considered it even in the day.

In all seriousness: Phil isn’t sure how I am not dead.

My blithesome ignorance terrifies me,
Even as my miraculous survival amazes me.

Thanks be to God.