This week, we’ve dealt with smoke from the wildfires in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota and Canada drifting down to infuse our air with haze, pollutants, odors, and sometimes ash.
Our air quality index was as high as 500, as it was last night. Just so you understand the scale, 00-50 for an air quality index is what is considered “good” or posing no threat to human health.
I’ve written on fire before.
The first time was after Lahaina burned in August of 2023. I wrote a cento. And, last year, I started another poem when I saw what the flames of a wildfire did to the Giant Sequoias in Sequoia National Park and Mariposa Grove. I need to work on this one more – it is still evolving – just a like a fire.
Category: American Experience, environmental education, fire, Geography, life experience, observations, poetry, poetry friday, seasons, travel, trees
Thank you for all the poetry goodness, Carol.
“Fire changes us all, whether landscape or human.” #truth
I wrote about the fires and the smoke today, too. Our AQI right now is 232. I can’t imagine it twice as bad, just like I can’t imagine the destruction of the fires.
Carol, it’s interesting how a collection of “fire” poems puts things in perspective, such a powerful force that you’ve remembered and described in your poems. I didn’t know that Cento meant patchwork, love that as a poetic device!
Carol, I particularly love the last stanza of the cento. And the fire persona poem…such a fresh perspective; I hope you will keep going with that!
The sinister reality of “Wildfire” is palpable, Carol. I agree with Irene — keep going!
Your poems, the cento and Wildfire, make us look at fire close up, which all people need to do, meaning look closely at how we as a society are harming our natural world. It is hard to deny when you smell smoke. You are so fortunate to have seen Lahaina so many times!
Carol, my daughter and her family are in Minneapolis, so they are experiencing similar smoke these days. So sorry for all the world that has to be dealing with this. We are expecting some smoky days in Seattle this week, but so far it’s not too bad. Thank you for sharing your two fiery poems. You really had a long connection with Lahaina (I hadn’t remembered that), though I do remember when you wrote about it a couple years ago. I like your poem–the wildfire and its sensual stealing of life is accurate.
Hard as it is, we must share our words — of fire, of devastation — if only to honor the loss. Thank you, Carol.
What a rich post. A wonderful way to respond…despite the anger and frustration that is natural for the latest tragedy.