Oh, The Things We Take for Granted

Oh, how devastating are these Los Angeles fires!

Thousands now without their collected desires.

No walls to hold their dreams inside,

No place to rest where hope did abide.

Where can one find a pillow to lay?

Or fresh clothes to face another day?

The desk where work once brought in revenue,

Burned to the ground, among miles of similar residue.

Oh, the many things we can take for granted,

Until disaster uproots all that we planted.

No cherished photos on the fridge, no fridge itself remains,

All those Christmas gifts just opened, now gone up in flames.

For lost lives of humans and animals, hurt wans deep and vast,

Gone in one final blink, so cruelly and unimaginably fast.

We never think twice about our roof above,

The comforts we built by our hands with love.

The steady hum of a normal life,

Until it’s all gone, replaced by chaos, tears, and strife.

Oh, the security we once took for granted,

Now exposing our fear with each thought ranted.

But alas, even in this bleak, dark hour,

A light still flickers—a hint of internal power.

For love endures, and hands will rebuild,

New walls, new dreams, new hopes fulfilled.

The heart is stronger than we will ever know,

It'll bring us through ashes, as new foundations we grow.

So let’s create greater tomorrows starting today,

And rise far above despair in a victorious way.

Oh, the gift of life we will never again take for granted,

As new and positive attitudes within our minds are implanted.

~ Terri Eileen Liggins, January 12, 2025