By Daniel Paiz

Greetings to everyone checking out this site, it has been a bit of time since I’ve shared some rhymes or poetry. I think it’s essential to step away at times, to revitalize and look within from time to time. With this kind of writing in particular, it’s been a moment to let it come or accept it isn’t going to arrive soon.

This one is inspired by the tragic fires hitting Colorado. These fires could be a shield of sorts depending on how you look at it. Anyway, here we go.

A Shield Against Us

Pine Gulch, Grizzly Creek, Cameron Peak, Williams Fork.

The locations of these four fires is no coincidence.

You and I have consumed every drop,

all of the resources,

financial and otherwise,

that would’ve addressed the beetle infestations.

The overcrowding of visitors.

The debris and carelessness left behind.

No class action suit is filed by nature,

instead it responds in a way humans will understand,

it’s sad that damage is the savage language we speak,

do NOT think we doesn’t include you,

every single living human being acted,

Deciding to or not to choose.

I can’t be sitting here claiming to care about clean air,

when I sit consuming items floating near the atmosphere.

The shield is against us and the forests weep,

dehydrated beyond measure while ashes heap,

Steep is the cost but that’s nothing new,

green is grown to burn glancing back via rearview.

There’s levels to this lack of air thick with soot,

unable to breathe as U.S. decisions show what’s moot,

Shoot, people of color dying more from COVID-19,

fire smoke harming their lung health,

just test it via spirometry.

Now August 18th reminds us over 120,000 acres burn,

Can’t breathe here in Denver in 100 degree heat,

Demure looks to the horizon hoping it won’t last,

Past fires have been worse

but 2020 feels like the state’s had enough,

Bluff shouldn’t of been called

That was a bad bet,

Survival is smoky in this time out West.