In Silicon Valley,
dominion of the mighty
lords of virtual reality,
the end of the world
is at my doorstep.
The west is burning
burning burning.
Even in the flowered
suburbs, beneath an orange
sky, garish as bad hair dye,
smokey air fills my nose.
It’s 2020. All over America,
people can’t breathe,
in hospitals
on ventilators
or beneath blue knees.
My little life is like
a trail of ink on
a burning page.
Dana’s books of poetry, The Left Side of My Life, After the Parade, and Frida’s Boots were published by Moon Pie Press of Maine. Her poetry has appeared in numerous journals and on the radio. Dana is disabled due to a stroke and often writes about health.
