What Burns

There was a fire in the dumpster

behind work.

I watched the orange glow

inside the metal container,

watched the flames

like they were trying

to get out.

Someone's discarded things

were burning.

I kept thinking about what it meant

to throw something away,

to let it burn,

to decide that something

was worthless enough

to destroy.

The smoke rose up

and disappeared.

The flames kept reaching,

kept trying

to escape the metal walls.

I couldn't work the rest of the shift.

I kept seeing the orange.

I kept thinking about what burns,

what gets thrown away,

what's important enough

to light on fire.

I kept thinking about the person

who decided this thing

was garbage.