Your eery beauty
draws my eyes
like
the heart
of a candle's flame,
but I know
your color,
blood-red
against the navy sky,
is because
the forests,
the houses
and the wildlife
all are burning.
Horses and humans flee fire
Sugar Doodle, after rescue
* photos from news sources on google
Kids, the red moon was beautiful, but it hurt to look at it, knowing our neighbors, both human and animal, in Colorado and Montana, are suffering. I so admire the heroic firefighting efforts that are beginning to contain the fires. And my heart is lifted by the rescue efforts of emergency response teams, the SPCA, and the Wildlife people, who are trying to assist humans and animals impacted by this disaster.
Our skies, even as far north as Vancouver Island, are smogged by the neighboring fires, and it is hard to enjoy a summer afternoon, knowing so many lives have been turned upside down this week.
One scientist was quoted as saying: "This is what global warming looks like." I look at Sugar Doodle's coat, and my heart shrivels with pain, and then expands. Someone saved this critter. Wildlife workers tranquilized and carried out a huge moose who had succumbed to smoke inhalation.
In the face of the overwhelming, it is all we can do, as humans: do what is in front of us, help whichever creature or person is in need. Clean up this planet, one inch, one mess, one human and one creature at a time.
