Smokey air fills the sky,
Cascading over the land in a sea of haze.
The sun dims, illuminating an eerie glow.
Breathing compromised, toxicity permeating into your lungs.
No longer a question in your mind but a knowingness.
A knowingness of the unease you know all too well.
Pulled back into that moment,
The moment when you had to turn your back on all that you knew.
Entering into the unknown,
Resisting the unsettling pit in your stomach.
Turning to friends, family, anyone who could offer comfort, relief.
Questions bombarding your mind, unsure of how to cope.
A fire is building, igniting our land yet again.
Affecting all who breathes the toxic air,
Pulling at the heart strings of all fire victims.
A bond has been formed, one that draws us all together.
Knowing that no matter how desolate it seems,
You are not alone in this.
Yet this fear permeates into our hearts,
The unknown, the unease, the hopelessness.
Haven't we suffered enough?
Hasn't our land suffered enough?
Questions bombard my thoughts.
Questions of why this is happening again.
Deep in my heart, I know a lesson must be taken from each fire
That engulfs our land in flames and sets our hearts ablaze.
But what is that lesson?
To take better care of the environment maybe?
Or just as a harsh reminder of the fragility and delicate nature of this earth,
Which we inhabit and so often take for granted.
The unknown of the root cause of all this chaos, all this destruction
Leaves me with the only thing I have left.
The comfort and support I can give to those affected.
The comfort and support we can all give to one another.
To pull through these times of tribulation.
To rely and seek solace in the strength of this bond we all share.
A deep knowing that we are never alone in this,
Never alone to take on these challenges.
Fire, disastrous and chaotic, is bringing us together,
Shedding light on the shared experience,
Rather than our illusory, perceived differences.
The inferno is ablaze in our land and in our hearts,
To recognize what we cannot control,
And tune into the power within us all.
Togetherness and strength.
Support and comfort.
Refuge and solace.
Together,
Igniting the flame of unity.
