While the building burned
and we were asked by some cruel god
to decide what it was we treasured most in the world
– or, at least,
in the apartment –
my girl and I came to our decisions quickly
independently
and significantly.

She rushed to her safe
and dragged it
in drenched curtains
to ensure it was protected from
fevered heat
and falling beams
as she escaped the fiery maw
that was once our home.

Once out,
she unlocked the safe
and found her photos:
rife with memories of lost aunts
international voyages
and ex-boyfriends.
She looked especially longingly
at couple shots of her and Steve
and I wondered if I made the right choice
when I carried out my treasured secretarial porn
since I’d have to return it to Steve the next week anyway.