The Ash is Deep on the Ground
Blackened powder covers my feet like a thick blanket
as I step on the soil that I once called home —
The stench of burning wood weaves itself into the air.
Dark grey clouds, clouds of death
Plaguing the baby blue sky
Intertwine themselves with the harsh smoke
Flooding my lungs.
A bluebird flutters amidst the wreckage,
Its bright feathers contrasting against the scorched trees
like dotted stars on a clear night.
The once beautiful, lush trees
With their vivid green leaves spawning over the horizon,
Now burned and broken, the memories
of their magnificence slowly fading
Like the red-hot embers that now litter the Earth.
The Ash is Deep on the Ground is an allusion to Kenneth Patchen’s poem The Snow is Deep on the Ground. Although this poem is not based on personal experience, wildfires are still frequently occurring natural disasters, that are devastating to the environment. This was not about any wildfire in particular, but was inspired by the wildfires in Australia.
In Arizona’s Greatest Scenes We Seem to See…
Arizona –
Bright rainbows dance across
the magnificent mountains
Standing out against
the barren bland dust.
Like freckles:
Green dots of life
speckle the purple hills.
The colorful sky – always changing
Surrounding the cracking desert like a bubble —
Of vivid brilliance
With its red and pink hues,
Imitating the rich, juicy fruit
Bounded to the prickly pears.
A hot summer breeze twirls through my golden locks
as a wall of grey clouds slowly roll in
And darkness slowly engulfs the horizon —
The sun’s comforting rays no longer warming my pale skin.
Drops of water pound hard on the roof above me
beating away at the peace
That was once found in Arizona.
This poem was written about where I was born and raised, Arizona. The title In Arizona’s Greatest Scenes We Seem to See is an allusion to Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s In Goya’s Greatest Scenes We Seem to See… The part of the title “Greatest Scenes we seem to see” inspired me to write about Arizona, because it is quite a scene to see. Although the poems are about two totally different topics, I really liked that idea as the title and used it as a positive twist.
December 1
Trapped in our homes
turned into cages,
like animals
Killing off our elders
Leaving our economy broken
The future — a black void–
Will it ever end?
Spreading like a wildfire
A crown ruling over us
Like a king – Ruthless
Yes- there is sickness and death
But still, there is light at the end of the tunnel
The skies once thick with grey fog,
Now clear and blue—
Corona is both our killer
And our savior.
This poem was written about COVID-19 and the pandemic, which is causing everyone to stay inside. Although this deadly virus has endless negatives, there is a silver lining to it. The once grey skies are now clear, and other positives to look at during this time. Even though times are hard, it is always good to look on the bright side.
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