Fires

FIRES in SASKATCHEWAN

109 fires burned hot in Northern Saskatchewan that day

That day I looked up at the sky

And saw that blood orange orb

The haze that enveloped small towns

And took over the sky

Stood still

In a part of the country

Where winds could blow

At 50 miles an hour

The sky stood still

Waiting

For a breeze

To turn a leave or two

To blow the haze away

But it lay heavy

Choking

The breath I took

Stopping the air from coming in

While planes flew north to stop the raging flaming forests

And volunteers geared up

And towns evacuated

Escaping danger

And suffocation

The haze continued down and East

And triangulated South

From an open mouth

A dragon breathing fire and smoke

Angry, willing to take it all

For miles

Crossing lakes

And hills

And stopping only at a mountain

Or another gale

But moving, pushing its way

Across the prairie and the city

Turning the countryside

Into a smog belt

And one by one

We all looked up

At that strange orb

Where the sun used to be

A glowing ball

Cloud hidden

A miracle of sorts

Not seen before in the heat of summer

Shared

A moment of a truth

We did not know

That we are all connected

Breathe the same air

Think the same thoughts

And have a common collective response