Haiku Sequence
Caught in the Path
in the
high country—
beneath billowing clouds
a pleasant day
mountain retreat—
Bear Wallow Wilderness* scorched
with wild fires
three pm
the sheriff orders us
from our homes
on the fire line
air tankers dump retardant—
a burned out home
fleeing in cars
loaded with possessions—
smoke obscures the road
setting back fires
to clear the forest floor—
a night sky at noon
all cots taken
at the refugee gym
a baby cries
in the rubble
a singed picture smeared with ash—
the chimney remains
bare, charred trees
stand on the mountain side—
the scent of burned pine
foot prints in the ash
we leave our memories
to a blue sky day
*The
Wallow Fire,
named for the Bear Wallow Wilderness area where the fire
originated, was a wildfire located in eastern Arizona and
western New Mexico, United States, in the White Mountains
near Alpine, Arizona. The Wallow wildfire is the largest to
ever occur in the history of Arizona. The fire started on
June 29, 2011 from a campfire; after 35 days it was 95 %
contained on July 3, 2011.
