NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR • by Alexis Stratton

I was five, and Cory burned figurines
in his backyard–Luke Skywalker,
Han Solo–our toys
the work of the devil,
Cory said. The pit
was wide, or so it seemed,
with wisps of fire
licking up
from dark charcoal.

Luke and Han descended
into hell, and I was left
to watch their plastic smoke
slip into the sky, weak bodies
melting into the charred ground.

Alexis Stratton is a freelance writer currently living and working in New Orleans. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in English, and her writing has most recently appeared in The Korea Fulbright Review, Korea Infusion, Dash Literary Journal, and Lambeth Magazine.

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NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR • by Alexis Stratton, 3.3 out of 5 based on 16 ratings
Posted on November 15, 2008 in Poems
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4 Responses to “NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR • by Alexis Stratton”


  1. Oonah V Joslin Says:
    November 15th, 2008 at 12:10 pm

    I loved this almost cruel image of the shattering of childhood heros, burned as works of the devil. You can feel the loss of it for the child and the fearful intensity of the concept of hell. Awesome.

  2. Mark Dalligan Says:
    November 16th, 2008 at 12:26 am

    Hi Alexis,
    a great portrait of childhood innocence eaten by the flames of fanaticism.

    Cheers

    Mark

  3. Robin Herrnfeld Says:
    November 17th, 2008 at 1:05 am

    Liked this very much. A moving snapshot of one of those moments one can’t forget.

  4. Erin Says:
    November 17th, 2008 at 8:12 am

    That is so sad!

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