Pacific Palisades

Yesterday, my city caught fire. I watched smoke and flames erupt out of nowhere.
Even with a mask, my eyes watered, my throat closed up, and my nose burned as the
fire consumed everything in its path: homes, schools, trees, and history. The wind
lifted up the fire, like a lover, and spread it across the expanse of the Santa Monica
Mountains. The majestic destruction took my breath away, a chemical wedding I
never thought I’d witness in real life.

under a red sun
life and death unite
to write a new chapter