spiritus ignis - for California

while torrid sparks lick heaven’s cheek those Santa Anas sweep the peaks and stoke the charring blaze that kills each breathing creature ‘tween the hills sweet Cali’s grandest homes and folk engulfed with horror, screams and smoke now ‘neath an arson’s scorching gun there’s nothing left them but … to run what weight we grant to things of price quick-claimed by flame and heat’s device there saves no faves from nature’s wrath this beast burns whole what’s in its path fire knows naught favored lands or name midst blaze and smoke we’re all the same and what with work we’ve come to earn comes soot through conflagration’s burn such fearsome heat, such searing scorch damned hades wields this ruthless torch though folks chance lives to slow its creep there’s naught contained by work or weep too much now lost this hellfire’s breath the things and homes that meet their death and yet, it’s through this hell on earth we learn, once more, what LIFE … is worth.