Smoke in Seattle

We became subdued

as sun through smoke,

our motions neither radiant nor bright,

we found ourselves waiting

for rain, for wind, for night

but there was nothing, no change in sight

I didn’t want to see the trees die,

I didn’t want us to be cooked, slowly or rapidly,

I still believe

that this is all a story

and we will close the book and walk away.

©Wendy Mulhern

August 21, 2018