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Notes About The Poem

(A message to U.S. politicians who, lately, have been critical of Canada.)

Blowing Smoke

Wildfires don't recognize borders.
Neither should common sense.
But the nonsense coming out of your leaders' mouths
just proves that they're really dense.

Smoke doesn't come with a passport.
It's not some thing you can just deport.

You see, here's the way it goes.
We can't control the way the wind blows.

Maybe you should clean up your own mess
before blaming others for your distress.

We actually have way more
boreal forest than you.
Yet, statistically, for some reason,
you have more fires than we do.

Your priorities are something
you need to rearrange
because the problem is not Canada;
it's climate change.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2026

Poem

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Rodrigues Avatar
July 19, 2026 at 6:28 AM
Back with more, Jim. You have really drawn my attention to the wildfires. I heard about them, but hadn’t given them enough thought. I am praying for Canada, and the U.S. too.
Healey Avatar
July 19, 2026 at 6:34 AM
Thank you, Kim. I appreciate it.
Rodrigues Avatar
July 18, 2026 at 6:41 AM
I wonder what would happen if I take a stroll across the Canadian border! The wind blows where it desires. Humans must tend to our forests…we can’t stop all trouble but we can be conscientious. I still think of Lakin Riley who was murdered on the same campus my daughter and nephew stayed on. So many..too many. Vet the immigrants, that is important. Poor, tired, etc.. come but not criminals.
Rodrigues Avatar
July 18, 2026 at 7:11 AM
Quite sure Canada is doing its best to fight the wildfires! Too many voices out there, but what can we do! Hope things get better quickly.
Healey Avatar
July 18, 2026 at 6:55 AM
Canada is doing its best to handle the wildfires but the problem is that many are caused by lightning strikes in remote areas that are hard to access because of few or no roads in those areas. Meanwhile, we have helped fight fires in California and Colorado in recent times and you don’t hear us complaining, even though the smoke has, at times, reached Canada.
Rodrigues Avatar
July 18, 2026 at 6:45 AM
And you have to ask why during covid, when we were masked up, holed up at home, vaccinated…did they let unvetted, unvaccinated, people by the droves cross over the border. Hypocrisy at its height! No common sense! All for migration done correctly. My dear son-in-law is from Palestine and became a U.S. citizen.
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The Whiskey Taster’s Flavor Guide
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace