Aftermath

OilMan and I and our neighbors are incredibly lucky
The fire came within a half mile of our house
Yet it looks unscathed.
On closer inspection everything looks slightly off.
There are helicopters in the skies,
fire engines and gas and electric trucks on our roads,
policemen on our street corners.
Our plum tree is changing color
but it is not the normal color.
The leaves look singed,
dotted with tiny holes.
The hills of Annadel State Park look normal
From the kitchen window.
But through the long lens there are blackened hills,
roads where there didn't used to be roads,
and more singed trees.
There is no such thing as normal.
Our gardener came today
to help blow leaves.
He is a handsome young man, but
he looked wrecked.
I asked the now standard greeting,
"Are You OK? Is your family OK?"
He nodded, but his expression was somber.
"Do you need anything?"
He shook his head.
I gave him a hug and he went back to his blowing.
We are all shocked, relieved, mourning, guilty, exhausted.
Struggling to justify warring emotions.
To understand why we were spared
when so many lost everything.
But we are all bonded by this common tragedy,
and the lucky ones will not ignore those less fortunate.
Together we will survive.
That is my prayer....