...smoke gets in your eyes

I love the mountains...
the piney smell of trees in summer...
the earthy smells that remind you of the fauna who live free...
the clean scent of rushing water...
tinged with the slightest whiff of algae ...
on the craggy rocks that are subtly polished
by the river's headlong rush
to rejoin the sea...

all the smoke in the air these days ...
has not only got me sneezing, coughing
and popping Zyrtek-D...
along with Excedrin for the headaches
from my protesting sinuses...

it also hurts my heart ...
to think of all that is happening...
to CAUSE all this smoke and haze...

I know that forest fires are natural...
even essential, on some levels...
for a healthy ecosphere...


but I keep thinking ...
about how long it takes
for a tree to grow...

about how the mature ones ...
that are being destroyed now...
can never be "replaced" in my lifetime...


and the terrified animals...

the ones who are fleeing the inferno...
losing their homes...
and perhaps, their lives as well...


or who are injured in the flames...
and suffer horribly...

having no understanding ...
of our desire to help them...


then there is the human toll...

the people who lose everything they've worked for...
or worse...ones they love...

the memories of a lifetime...gone...
turned to ash and smoke...

perhaps at a time of life...
when rebuilding is not really an option...

and those who brave terrible danger...
suffer great hardships...
and risk it all...


perhaps even being injured or dying a horrific death ...



trying to protect the lives and property...
of people they will never know...
or even meet...



and then...the aftermath...
the utter devastation...



lost and ruined lives...
homes destroyed...



the acrid stench of smoke...and charred wood...
melted metal...plastic...
and death...

the forest will regenerate itself...
that is nature's way...
humans and animals will return
to make their homes among the trees ...
that will grow back...

but those who have lost their lives...
possessions... homes...and hope...
will never have their time again...

not the way it was...
before the fire came...

so join me in a moment of silence...
for all the pain, devastation and loss...



may God richly bless all ...
who are seeing their lives go up in smoke...
and those who try to help them...

"when your heart's on fire... smoke gets in your eyes..."