Wednesday, October 11, 2023

One day there was no day

 


One day there was no day

One day there was no day.
No birds sang at dawn
because there was no dawn.
We walked our dogs by flashlight.

One day there was no sun.
Through smoky veils of wildfire
we stared directly
at a floating tangerine.

One day there was no noon.
Owls hooted. Porch lights never dimmed.
Deer wandered the streets
blinking tears of soot.

If you can’t count on
day following night,
what can you count on?

One day there was no you, no me.
One day we were we.
Scared. Seeking touch.
Please. Hold my hand.

……

First published in Monterey Poetry Review. Thank you Dr. Jennifer Lagier Fellguth, editor.

I wrote this poem after wildfire forced me (and the entire little town of La Honda) to evacuate our homes in 2020. Fortunately we were spared. Many friends and neighbors were not so lucky. The smoke from so many fires turned day to night.

Hear me:

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