Flame-red reminder

As the characteristic reds and greens 

Of Christmas slowly fade, 

We’re left to face again 

The subtle grays of winter: 

Of clouds and leafless trees, 

 Of icy streets and melting snow, 

The wisps of fog above the lakes, 

The smoke from stoves and fires 

And the ash they leave behind — 

And there it is again, flame-red reminder 

Of the monumental losses 

Being faced in California; 

The unfathomable magnitude of destruction.