While Our Forest Burned
by Penelope Woods

We watched and we waited as it grew
We watched it in the sky and we watched it on TV
We watched it in denial
We watched with waning optimism and waited for the call
Then it came
The monster fire forced us out – this White Mountain family of ours
How do we choose what pieces of our past to take?
How much can we fit in our cars?
We abruptly gain a new perspective on what really matters in life
One by one, thousands upon thousands, the full moon guided us down the
mountain
The midnight caravan!
Like a string of red Christmas lights
Weaving slowly around the canyon
Not a sound to be heard
Not a word to be said
Questions racing in our heads – words we didn’t dare utter out loud
Where will we go?
What will we do?
Have we seen the last of our homes?
Will friends soon become memories?
We haven’t a clue
All of us displaced and scattered, yanked from our routines
Yet all united – this White Mountain family of ours
Our futures cling with promise to the words of the fire boss
As he loyally reports on our fates
We endear ourselves to him – how can we not?
While desperately searching for a glimmer of light in his weary and burning eyes,
We listen hard for an encouraging tone in his voice, a half-smile on his face,
anything at all
Feeling our pain, he skillfully weighs his words being ever so cautious not to give
us false hope

Always reminding us that the fire is in control, not the thousands who are chasing
it
Not for a moment can they let down their guard
Not for a moment can we abandon our faith
So we watch and we wait and we pray for those noble and nameless heroes on the fire
lines and in the air fighting to save us from doom
We pray that, unharmed, they can hold back the flames
We pray for our forest and our homes and our families and our friends and our
livelihoods
We pray that we can soon go back to it all
Days go by – we watched and we waited
We watched the media, the mayors of our towns, the governor of our state, and the
president of our country, all there, while we remain in refuge far removed
We witness the spirit of compassion and generosity of our neighbors, near and far
They share our grief – they truly care
Unknowing, we feel fear, anxiety, anger, sadness, helplessness, and confusion
But most of all, we feel hope that our mountain will be spared
Finally, our beloved fire guru stands at the podium and announces, "this is an
auspicious day!"
It is safe for us to go home
They say there was no explanation why the fire didn’t burn the town – it was fully
expected
But we all know why – it’s very simple – our prayers held it back
We have been blessed with a miracle
With a renewed appreciation for all that we have and for this magnificent place
where we live,
With a deep gratitude in our hearts for our fire fighters that words cannot express,
We curl up in our beds and listen to the familiar sounds of our own surroundings
But our sigh of relief is interrupted by our sorrow for those others of us
Those who no longer have a home or a business to go to
To them we say, have faith – things fall apart so that things can fall together
This is an opportunity, a second chance for us all, let’s begin
You are not alone - we are one – this White Mountain family of ours!

Copyright 2002 Penelope Woods