New Poetry by Mike Berger

Fire in the Kerri

Running like hell straight

for the billabong; fire biting

my arse.

Pushed by devil winds,

flames jump and explode.

Gum trees are matchsticks.

Orange tongues searing the

sky; dense smoke stings

my eyes.

Whirlwinds wind in

tight circles. Blackened

earth gapes where

fire danced.

Diving headlong, the

cold water steals my breath.

Bombarded by flaming embers;

choking in the dense smoke.

The roar of the fire passes;

leaving trees smoldering,

emitting bright orange glows.

Despite its brutal charge,

the fire was an awesome 

thing. 

- Mike Berger 2010

Mike Berger is an MFA, PhD. He is retired and writes poetry and short stories full time. He has been writing poetry for less than two years. His work appear in seventy-one journals. He has published two books of short stories and three poetry chapbooks. He is a member of The Academy of  American Poets.