my beloved home state of california is on fire, again

the Camp Fire is about 90 miles north of us the fire destroyed a whole town

Paradise, the whole fucking town

is gone in flames

yesterday the sky smelt, looked & felt like the landscape

of an apocalyptic movie

yesterday we shopped at Costco

in the other checkout line

a woman wearing a Red Cross vest w/ insignia was buying

2 shopping carts loaded with supplies & victuals

for a shelter or 2 up north

today the sky was a bit better but still so much smoke in the air

climate change is happening now

my beloved home state is no stranger to wildfires during the hot dry summers

but hot & dry is nearly all year round

conditions are just right for a spark to start

an explosive conflagration

all year round

it is hotter now than it was even 5 years ago

we are in danger of losing sight of that fact

we are in danger

of losing everything we know & hold dear

that is not hyperbole

it is the cold indifference of nature

acting within the laws of physics

& what will we do

now

what will we do