Sunburnt Sun
Gray and pink...
Wisp to Wild
Grasping, consuming.
Swirl upward--
A gift to fires
of all fires.
Witch Creek,
Poinsettia
Paradise,
Cedar,
San Marcos,
Elfin Forest,
Mount Palomar...
Coco..
Other battles without names.
Burn to the ocean
or Stop at the crest?
Fiery tongues lick cold
Impassive walls.
Left empty and deserted,
Waiting for the end.
Homes and trees
To rest, layer upon layer.
White and Gray.
Green life, now absent,
 |
| Source: Ayla87 |
Becomes moonscape
in moments, in hours.
All for
A Sunburnt Sun,
Fire at its witching hour.
So sad to see these flames destroying homes. But as long as everyone is safe, that's what matters in the end. I pray that no lives are lost.
ReplyDeleteSo far only one body has been found, a transient caught unawares.
DeleteI love the last picture. There is the futility of fighting this enormous monster with a garden hose, but here is a man who has fought many battles and he isn't giving up.
ReplyDeleteHe told the news that he wasn't leaving without a fight. Everything he owns is in the house. His whole life is in that house. And he wasn't leaving. I don't know what actually happened.
DeleteSafety comes first, homes can be rebuilt, people can't
ReplyDeletepeople were rise and left when the officials insisted. Their cars held only photos, some personal items, and pets. when all is reduced to the size of one's boot/trunk, what to take?
DeleteSad about the houses, but they can be replaced. People cannot. Witching hour indeed...
ReplyDeleteIN the face of this monster, thise seemed the correct words.
DeleteI live in the same kind of area and have gone through three of these fires. Once the flames scorched the back of our house, but the firebreak held and the fire fighters were wonderful. Each year we prepare and are thankful if our home survives. My heart went out to those in SD.
ReplyDeleteWith 3 year of drought combined with a nasty desert wind, a wildfire was inevitable. Thank you for your thoughts. You were also fortunate to have survived such a fire.
DeleteMy heart goes out to everyone/everything affected. Scary times.
ReplyDeleteNow the photos of the damaged homes are being shown. Scary, indeed.
DeleteHi Susan,
ReplyDeleteSuch a fiery torment. We watch on with shock at the devastation that occurs. Here's to all those involved to be safe. One man against the flames. His life is more precious than his property.
Gary
Agreed. He is alone, no more family. This house and what is in it, he said was all he had left. Sad.
DeleteLife must come first
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. No one in that situation may realize just how quickly the fire can eat up all in its path.
DeleteNo place is safe this year from the terrible destruction and loss due to the weather patterns we have seen in recent years.
ReplyDeleteMay you and yours stay safe.
Well said. Thank you.
DeleteThat last picture is a heart stabber. Things can be replaced, not always easily, but they can. People or their health cannot. :(
ReplyDeleteSo many photos of people on line of people staring in horror at their homes in flames--heartbreaking.
DeleteFire- warmth, beauty and destruction all in a single package.
ReplyDeleteI feel sad at the thought of people losing their homes, their livelihoods, their lives.
Yes, most of these things can be replaced, but things like photo albums, a wedding dress, the locks of baby hair from the first haircut, these can never be replaced.
I hope there wasn't too much destruction this time.
As the aftermath of the fires becomes public, it is another time of horror.
DeleteIt's horrific how easily these fires are ignited. I also feel terrible that so many people have lost nearly everything. My heart also goes out to the brave firefighters who constantly put their lives at risk. A deeply moving poem, Susan.
ReplyDeleteJulie
The men and women who fight the fires are amazing, deserving of respect and praise. I cannot imagine what they face.
Delete