A wildfire's wrath ignited a realm of fear.

I walked the path of lessons and routine,

While flames consumed the life I'd once seen.

Life carries on in the face of the Anthropocene.

 

School bells chimed, but my thoughts were afar,

Lost in the embers that tore us apart.

Friends laughed and shared tales of delight,

Yet my heart was consumed by the wildfire's fight.

 

Guilt danced within, a cruel partner in crime,

For daring to enjoy moments in this trying time.

How could I smile, in a world so ablaze,

When others faced the inferno's fierce gaze?

 

I longed to be normal, carefree, and smile not tight,

To dance with my friends under Mexico’s warm light.

But the wildfire's shadow stretched far and wide,

A constant reminder of life's changing tide.

 

So I juggled the masks, the brave face I wore,

Hiding the turmoil deep at my core.

I yearned for the solace of home's sweet embrace,

While the wildfire raged on, in that faraway place.

 

Struggling to cope, yet refusing defeat,

I found strength in connections, moments so sweet.

The support of true friends, a lifeline so real,

Helped kindle a fire to cope, to heal.

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