The Difference between what we see and what is Real

Smoke filled the air today.
There's that annoying Burger King
down the street that we usually blame.

But there seemed to be a different scent
clinging to the haze.
It wasn't greasy or flavored like a Whopper.
There was some kind of spice we couldn't recognize.
We drove, walked, biked and lived past it.
Assuming that the smoke was nothing,
It was not until the flashing lights,
loud alarms, running men, thrashing flames,
that we realized it was actually the house
down the street.

We gathered around in a silenced fear,
that smoke we smelled was the smell of
burning wedding photos,
a child's stuffed animal,
an antique china cabinet,
a priceless suit,
a favorite chair.