Given my numerous skills, they asked me
what kind of profession do I choose,
with what salary, in which working period,
et cetera, et cetera…
While I was sleeping during the night,
I felt that my angel woke me up and said:
'When you left, I told them the truth.
I declared, for your part, that
your soul orders you to become:
The Chief of Fire Fighting Force of Alexandria
with power, shouting out, ordering combat of fire
in that day of the disgraceful conflagration,
or, at least, an ordinary fire fighter,
with a heart like a pump made of steel,
with fireproof hand-palms
or, after all, a teacher with his pupils
of that school near the Library of Alexandria
who happened to water the gardens and saw the fire
and then run breathless with buckets in hands
to combat and save in advance…”
© JosephJosephides
Joseph S. Josephides
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/conflagration-library-of-alexandria/