Inferno

Reworked from a draft that was based on fires in Northern California that engulfed numerous redwoods, the piece took on a more personal note when fires recently ravaged Ruidoso, New Mexico, which is a short drive from my mother and stepfather. The images and videos I received from them were so disheartening, knowing how horribly it impacted the local ecosystems and countless lives, which were upended by the heavy smoke and fires. Here, I imagine two brothers stuck in a hopeless situation, forced to endure the inevitable nature of mortality. And while so many forms of green will rise through the ashes, it doesn't make the loss and pain any easier to handle.