by Jean Varda
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| “Green Dream Painting” by Mykola Ampilogov |
Cold bottomless water
transparent fish,
birds awaken with hesitant
flute like songs.
Walking in the evening down
graceful tree-lined streets,
soft rain falling all night,
where I breathe cool moisture
through a screened window.
This is my dream in green,
fireflies silently rising
above thick wet grass.
Not the brown sky of my home
with a faded pink pock a dot
for a sun.
Not sirens, helicopters, low flying planes
and a fire that has no end.
Deep moss green water lapping
on a muddy shore,
full rivers, lakes, ponds
bird song, ocean breeze.
Not four hundred miles of
spreading flames
fire fighters sweating in their gear
smoke so thick it looks like
night in the morning
a dark cloud rising
seen from the other end
of the continent
a desperate smoke signal for help.
Jean Varda is a poet living in Chico, California, not far from the Dixie fire. She has self-published six chapbooks of poetry. Been published in numerous literary magazines. Leads poetry writing workshops and has started open mics.