A Constant State
California has been in drought as long as I can remember
Soil greedily drinks through chapped lips what little water lies in emptying reservoirs
Wildfires rage throughout July, I can feel them in my throat
The hungry, bitter bite of all-consuming smoke
A state founded on the promise of gold,
On stolen land,
On names lit up in sparkling neon
We’ve neglected the liquid gold, our lifeblood
Around me, California is burning
Los Angeles is a city in fever,
Asphalt streets turned barbeque grill
Highways, a river styx of cars snaking into the horizon
In a park a few blocks from my house my father holds my tiny hand in his and tells me what a drought is
Too young to understand words like ‘greenhouse gas’ and ‘global warming,
He tells me this is why we must be careful with our water
And I believe, for a few moments, that this is that natural order of things
That the earth will always be thirsty until one day the cup finally runs dry
I believe there is no change, no end except annihilation
And I never stopped believing.
Soil greedily drinks through chapped lips what little water lies in emptying reservoirs
Wildfires rage throughout July, I can feel them in my throat
The hungry, bitter bite of all-consuming smoke
A state founded on the promise of gold,
On stolen land,
On names lit up in sparkling neon
We’ve neglected the liquid gold, our lifeblood
Around me, California is burning
Los Angeles is a city in fever,
Asphalt streets turned barbeque grill
Highways, a river styx of cars snaking into the horizon
In a park a few blocks from my house my father holds my tiny hand in his and tells me what a drought is
Too young to understand words like ‘greenhouse gas’ and ‘global warming,
He tells me this is why we must be careful with our water
And I believe, for a few moments, that this is that natural order of things
That the earth will always be thirsty until one day the cup finally runs dry
I believe there is no change, no end except annihilation
And I never stopped believing.
Naomi Farkas is an aspiring poet/storyteller. They've had their work published in a few publications, including the Los Angeles Press, Stone Soup, and Unum e pluribus: an anthology of youth poems. They've had their work included in the Queer Permeable Poetry hotline. They write all sorts of stories, especially about their experiences as a jewish person, a member of the LGBT+ community, someone struggling with mental illness, and a survivor of sexual assault. You can find them aimlessly wandering the isles of your local bookstore, procrastinating, and daydreaming.