the redwoods were dying – not just where the flames
had leapt the highway to devour Kmart and TJ‘s.
Those spindly blackened sticks
re-sprouted greenery from their trunks.
Regeneration after the fire was possible.
After all, they were redwoods.
So odd to see the furry green poles
with blackened arms reaching for the sky.
The branches dead in the fire’s path.
But life returned, the cambian layer
pumped precious sap skyward.
It reminded me of the lizards
regrowing their tails from the heart.
But not so for all the other trees
lining the Redwood Highway.
Sure, many trees were planted a half century ago or longer,
but the water table has drastically dropped all over California.
Some 30 feet in the central valley.
We are losing elevation, we are losing height
every time we pump water from the ground.
In some places, sea level has been breached.
In the Alexander Valley it began with the grapes.
A neighbor’s well went saline.
Remnants of ancient sea beds resurrected.
We trucked in water, used groundwater for dishes and laundry.
Our own private odor of sulfur, radiolarian and Satan‘s breath.
Our skin was so slick and smooth, we were sleek seals
cavorting in tubs. But now it extends throughout the county
not just one county but the entire north coast.
The redwoods are dying, they are dying.
They are dying. everywhere.
And we cannot turn the tide.
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