Smoky Poem by Doug Lane

My friend says
her ranch in Colorado
is burning down
and that trespassing hunters
with careless campfires
might've been the perps.

Or else it was lightning
or a flaming bear
running through the woods
or The Marlboro Man

or Smoky the Bear
is sleeping on the job
or o.d.'d on fentanyl.

Somebody go check out
Smoky.
Is he sleeping
- or dead?

Dead.Smoky's dead.
Well that explains
a lot.
No wonder our forests
are burning down.

No wonder
California is burning down.
No wonder
Colorado is burning down.

Up till now
Smoky had our backs.
Now
we're on our own.

My question is
now that Smoky's dead,
who gets his pelt?

That'll make a nice rug
next to my fireplace.
If I can get his hide,
you can have his hat.

The way I see it is,
Smoky's made himself useful
his whole life.
No need
for him
to stop
now.