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Prelude to Disaster
by
Mark M. Lichterman
Verse One
September, October and November
Reservoir water levels down
drought conditions apply
Southern California water rationing enforced.
October promising a bit of rain
but no
not till mid-November
then…
Rain!
Seven months without
within days of the season’s first rain
brown burnt-out shrubs and wild grass
magically, once again turn green and
the seasonal process begins anew
Rain…
and more rain
The worse the weather
the better the weather…
to a point
Overflowing water flooding denuded
previous burn areas as rivers of sludge
inundate mountainside and wooded
localities destroying home after home
Walls of mud closing canyon roads
as loosened earth allows bounding
boulders onto Pacific Coast Highway.
Verse Two
December, January and February
Breathtakingly beautiful in their distance:
snow-capped mountains peak into and disappear
within pure white clouds back-dropped by
startling blue skies.
California poppies abundant
hills and prairies dotted with red, pink and blue flowers
Daily sunshine along with intermittent rain resurrecting
dry prairie grass and sun-browned shrubs effectuating
mile upon mile of flower dotted green umbrage
Occasionally seen on the velvety green hillside
herds of grazing cattle, horses or sheep
Lake Tahoe to the north
Yosemite Park mid-state
Big Bear to the south
whereupon lowering snow lines
opening mountain resorts
to a constant stream of vehicles
bearing skies and snowboards
Verse Three
March and April
From the high Sierras flow twenty to thirty
feet of melting snow
runoff filling reservoirs
allowing sluice gates to open permitting
capricious amounts of water to flow
imperceptibly downhill from north to south
within the hundreds of miles of California’s
snaking, southbound aqueduct system
Wild growth upon mountains, hills and prairies
now distantly showing as mottled green foliage
Verse Four
May, June and July
California beauty
Prelude to disaster
Last notable rain in early March
Reservoir water levels down
forthcoming drought conditions apparent
Southern California rationing suggested.
Moisture now a nonexistent memory as drought stricken
sun-browned scrub grass and dead shrubs cover mountains
hillsides and prairies
Verse Five
August, September and October
California beauty
Prelude to disaster
Ignited by:
a cigarette flipped from a speeding car
a blowing ember from an illicit campfire
a spark from the hoof of a horse
a striking bolt of lightning…
or purposely set.
In wild abundance
sun-browned scrub grass and dead shrubs
Ignite…
and quickly
Running with the wind
within seconds:
Running with the wind
pine trees igniting explosively
highly combustible scrub grass and dead shrubs
become a conflagration consuming all within its path
Ten, twenty, thirty miles distant
appearing as a wide red glow on the far distant horizon
day becomes night.
As a hurricane of fire…
As Cyclonic Fire:
Running with the wind
out of the hillside
ripping through evacAuated residential neighborhoods
tall palm trees igniting as Roman Candles on the Fourth of July
homes burnt to the ground
naught but standing chimneys remain
Ten, Twenty, thirty miles distant
night becoming day
black smoke appears as storm clouds on the far distant horizon as
carried in the air
specks of gray ash fall upon all within the wind’s path.
Verse Six
December, January and February
California poppies abundant
hills and prairies dotted with red, pink and blue flowers
Daily sunshine along with intermittent rain resurrecting
dry prairie grass and sun-browned shrubs effectuating
mile upon mile of flower dotted green umbrage
California beauty
Prelude to disaster
©May 1, 2012 / Mark M. Lichterman
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