by Lenora Rain-Lee Good
Wildfires surround my town
air quality goes from green to red
my sister’s town is burning
her air quality is purple
I wear mask when outside
would wear it inside, but
they are paper and dissolve
in my cup of coffee, so I run
my air cleaner. Perfumes, smoke,
pollen, dust, anything to irritate
my larynx and my voice goes
or I sound like a pubescent boy
either was fine when my kids
were young and full of laughter
they have more sympathy now
I wish Ma Nature did.
Lenora Rain-Lee Good lives near the Columbia River in Kennewick, WA. Her latest chapbook is Saying Goodbye to Thomas published by Finishing Line Press. She writes fiction, radio dramas, and poetry. Her words have appeared in online and print magazines and anthologies, including Quill and Parchment, Ekphrastic Review, and Notes of Light and Dark: Southwestern Aubades and Nocturnes. Her favorite poetical quote: “A poet who reads his verse in public may have other nasty habits.” —Robert Heinlein