THAT GREAT CONFLAGRATION
Like when Chicago burned : I was out, buying a
pillow for Mrs. O'Leary's cow, came back late,
and the cow had already toppled the candle into
the hay as the barn quickly went up in flames.
That day was one to remember. Mrs. O'Leary
was apprehended trying to flee - she knew
immediately what was up, with the fire and
how - even if they blamed the cow - she
too would be forever linked. Like now.
-
Barns are terrible places anyway - combustible
hay piles, steaming silage, warm corners, lamps
and lights, ornery cows, stuff that ignites itself
by some weird agricultural form of a truly
spontaneous combustion. When you're not
even looking, or thinking about it, the heat
and the temperature just takes off and there
goes all last Summer's work. What a fiery
mess. This was different - I guess - what
with the cow kicking over the lantern, but
follow my point anyway if you will.
-
That ended the landscape of that place forever,
all that wooden construction gone and forgotten.
It gave everyone a new chance, and, in fact,
gave Louis Sullivan his big break to construct a
skyscraper - The Auditorium Building or something,
concrete and steel-frame construction, elevators.
An entire new world a'borning. See how new,
good things start from bad troubles? So don't
look so down, and don't be forlorn. Everything
dies, something new gets born.
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