This is the Sunday before the fires

that ravaged the Palisades

propelled by the wind

that made my 10th floor office windows 15 miles away⁣⁣⁣

convulse⁣⁣⁣

as we watched the smoke billow black from the hillside⁣⁣⁣

Oh no

This is the Sunday before the shock

The refrain to explain

“Never in my lifetime”

Too fierce to contain

Too large with too little; it charged and it leapt

Leveling homes, and lives as we slept

Now what

This is the someday on which we’ll reflect

When I thought how lucky we were

To return to this “backyard”

To inhale the “ocean air”

To memorize “our” mountains 

To pick and choose among parks and canyons

Where now children must stay inside

Until when

You’ll see my smile looks out of place 

Smokey said

Only you can prevent forest fires

Or can we?