Rick Bates

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The King Fire Saga

The days now fill, with stress and doubt
For firefighters, chased us all out.
Our homes unsafe, we now must go
Can we return? We do not know.

Police say hurry, the road's soon blocked
But they'll be sure, your door has locked.
To leave so fast, it does us chafe
But they all mean, to keep us safe.

What a strange word, evacuate
I didn't pack, now it's too late
Traffic is bad, this road's a lane
So much to lose, but life to gain.

Fire raging, in leaps and hops
Ignoring e'en, the aircraft drops.
Choppers dipping, water from lakes
All aircraft doing, what e'er it takes.

Long lines are cut, by inmate crews
Film live at ten, we're evening news.
Basecamp then grows, becomes a city
Dozers push on, their work is gritty.

Another camp, holds those displaced
Some bow their heads, knowing they're graced.
And grateful for, the volunteers
Always with smiles, hugs and good cheer.

We hear reports, we're filled with grief
We hear of things, beyond belief.
We rant, we rave, we wonder so
We want to leave, our homes to go.

Now lightning crash and thunder roar
We can't help pacing, around this floor.
Firefighters are, the ones that go
Into the storm, that well they know.

The sky now dark, from all the smoke
We cannot breathe, it does so choke.
Firefighters do, what just they dare
Come home safely, our whispered prayer.

The trees, the plants, the animals keep
These are the losses, for these we weep.
We cry for JUSTICE, to soothe our pains
The rocks show only, fiery stains.

The fire's cause, for this we've sought
A miscreant soul, who now is caught.
He'll spend his life, in concrete jail
And we'll still hear, the forest's wail.

The trees and plants, all seen is burned
Dens, lairs and nests, the fire spurned.
Fire will take, and much is lost
There is no way, to count true cost.

Gone are the things, one might collect
The homes, the cars, some fully wrecked.
Sons, daughters, husbands and their wives
Barely escaped, with just their lives.

It's just stuff, it's only things
We're still alive, and we can sing
Praises to those, who've risked it all
Making their lives, a protective wall.

The forest may, be whole one day
When that will be, no one can say.
The human heart, it will rebound
T'will ne'er forget, the dark scorched ground

Once we were all, standing apart
Now we stand close, of common heart
Of these foul days, one thing stands good
For we've become, a neighborhood.

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