On the California Wildfires
By Tonya McQuade
Outside, the air is filled with smoke and ash
So thick the nearby mountains can’t be seen;
Bright red and purple colors on the map
Warn that the air we breathe’s no longer clean.
In San Jose, the current AQI
(Air Quality, an Index I now know)
Stands at a hazardous 195 –
Without a mask, outside we should not go.
Some schools have closed, and some keep kids indoors,
For outside air presents potential threats –
Particulates that lodge inside our lungs,
Like smoking half a pack of cigarettes.
The town of Paradise has been destroyed,
More than ten thousand homes and buildings burned;
Survivors had to flee, while close behind,
The deadly fire toward them raced and churned.
So many tragic losses, dreadful tales –
Of missing family members, injured pets,
All worldly goods and photos turned to char,
Scenes of destruction no one soon forgets.
A thousand still are missing, maybe dead;
Evacuation centers overflow.
While others have, at Walmart, pitched their tents,
No money left, not knowing where to go.
Considering the pain so many face,
I can’t complain too much about the air –
Across the state, vast numbers suffer worse,
Deserving much more sympathy and prayer.
Like hurricanes, each fire bears a name,
The Camp and Woolsey currently the worst.
Like tyrants, they’ve no mercy in their rage;
Instead of blood, for trees and homes they thirst.
While thousands from those towering flames retreat,
Heroic firefighters face them down,
Each risking life and limb as, weapons raised,
They battle to preserve life, tree, and town.
These natural disasters, strong and wild,
Remind us there are limits to our power –
Not even fame nor riches can protect
From conflagration seeking to devour.
They also, though, reveal our human strength,
For though we suffer loss, we persevere –
We hug our loved ones tight, roll up our sleeves,
And steel ourselves from giving in to fear.
We look for ways to help out those in need –
Donating money, clothes, and blankets, too.
The best of our humanity shines forth
As people look for helpful things to do.
And so, I pray for those who’ve suffered loss,
For those still seeking news of those they love,
For cleaner, healthy air for all to breathe,
And that soon raindrops fall from up above.
