My poem is about the fires raging in California, amplified by the Santa Ana winds. My thought process behind drawing the poem was that it would give me the opportunity to emphasize certain words and phrases, ensuring that the feeling I was trying to emulate translated clearly to the people reading my poem. My choice to include the time lapse of the drawing being created simulated the rapid creation and destruction done by the fires in California. It’s also an opportunity viewers are so rarely given to see what exactly what went into the creation of the poem.
When I found the article about the fires in California I felt very inspired by the almost poetic language used by the author to describe what was being done to help stop the fires. The overwhelming feeling I had as I first read the article was fear; fear for my family living in California, and fear for what the record-breaking fires mean for our planet. The second time reading the article I felt angry that this is only one of many man made events threatening the well-being of the planet and the people residing on it. These two emotions are what I kept in mind as I sifted through the article and crafted the poem. Enjoy!
