Drought Dirge

I found a posting on NOTES FROM THE KELP, and made my comment to Alex:

There you were, damp and delighted with your new digs in July 2007, and Santa Barbara was choking on cinders and ash from California fires. You felt their pain. It was still quite recognizable. But today, many months later, the tongues of fire have not sung to you in some time. They may never again. Glenn

Drought Dirge

Here I am
bathed in Northwest
dew,
caressing thick moss,
as I hear—

Voices
from the trees,
technicolor green,
alive,
deeply fragrant,
strong,
very beautiful;
old.

We should all be
so lucky
to age
this well!

Every time it
drizzles a bit
here, or
thick fog rolls in,
I do
a little rain dance
of celebration.

Having lived
in a fire zone
for so long,
and having had
to evacuate
more than once
in the face
of oncoming flames,
I realize that I
suffer from
Post Traumatic Drought Syndrome!

California,
your hair is on fire,
and I will do
my best rain dance
to bring some
of this moisture
to you.

Alex Shapiro July 2007