L.A. Is On Fire (Calm Down III)
The third installment in my "Calm Down" series, L.A. Is On Fire was written while my adopted city burned, as my family and I waited indoors to learn if we would need to evacuate. Writing helped me process my emotions during this uncertain time. Through it all, I'm grateful for how Los Angeles demonstrated the power of community, as neighbors stood together in times of crisis. -Alfred Nomad
This poem is my way of turning reflection into action. Through this page, all donations will go directly to help wildfire victims rebuild. Your support, whether through listening, donating, or sharing, makes an impact.
Los Angles Is On Fire (Poem)
Los Angeles is on fire
And we’re all getting burned
California is officially in a state of emergency
You can’t hide your kids or your wife
The best you can do is stay alert, pack a bag of essentials and find refuge
When I said “until I get home, take what you can carry” I didn’t know just how relevant that statement would be
The fires keep spreading, and the smoke is in the air everywhere
I’m indoors, but it still smells like something is burning from the next room
And with COVID still lightly lingering in the ozone, I don’t know how much more our lungs can take
Hollywood is on fire.
But this isn’t a multi million dollar action movie scene
With our camera phones out capturing every minute
It’s like all the locals are production assistants standing a little bit too close to the action waiting for God to yell “Aaand cut!”
LA’s been in a drought for months, and now we’re begging for water
Gotta love the fact that one billionaire couple owns majority of California’s water
Ever heard of the Resnicks?
Well until this heated catastrophe I hadn’t either
The firefighters are working day and night to fight the good fight with thick leather gloves on
When you go to sleep thanking the firefighters tonight make sure 30% of your gratitude goes to the incarcerated laborers part of the wildfire crew doing it for Pennie’s on the dollar
The wealthy have private firefighters for hire with their insurance companies making sure to protect their most valuable assets
While the rest must evacuate and pray their insurance company didn’t cancel claims for fire from their policies in advance
The fire departments funding dropped over 17 million dollars from last year
But don’t worry, the LAPD got millions more in funding to shoot, apprehend and arrest the fires away
The remains and ruins reminds me of the civilians of Palestine dodging fire from the sky, leaving them with nothing to own but their own humanities
I pray for LA, and I pray for them too
James Baldwin predicted the fire next time
And maybe that time has finally come
Los Angeles is on fire, and we’re all getting burned
The country’s been on fire for years if we’re being honest
I hope you kept your sunscreen and N95 masks handy,
Because the block is hot
And this fire is far from being put out for good any time soon
