Today was a weird day

But not in a bad way

The air was a bit smoky

The sky gray

I had a kink in my leg so I didn’t run

I felt a little down so I lifted some weights

That brought me up like it always does, great

My dog and I went to the lake

We hiked in the forest

I broke the rules and let him run off leash

There was another dog there running free too

Pups and people doing what they were made to do

I looked up and saw a pine tree with many branches going out from its top

They touched the trees around them like outstretched arms

I thought about the haze

And how we do each other harm

Even from a wildfire in Canada

There’s smoke in America

What about all the asthmatics

And the COPDers with lungs like static

What about the people who sell them cigarettes

Someone’s getting rich

If I had to place my bets

What does a life cost

When I was at home in the backyard, the neighbor asked me through the bushes, “Is anyone there?”

I went to the gate to see her

What despair

Behind her were toppled plants

She sniffled and said, “I just wanted to tell you that my dad died

His obituary was published today”

On the gate I watched some ants and I told her I was sorry

We reached through the gate and the haze to hug

It was more than a cold shrug

I was saddened by the thought of death

And I remembered after Lazarus died, Jesus wept

Is this life?

To live in a haze created by others

To watch death take all my sisters and brothers

Even dogs meet an end

It doesn’t make sense

A heavy rain comes through tonight

I hope it’ll remove the haze and make things right

I sit and observe

There’s a few things I’ve learned

Everyone’s bothered by death

We all fight for breath

No matter what we think we’re like fire and pine trees

Even the side effects of our smallest choices make their way to somebody

On days like this I reflect

On haze and death, justice

And I fully expect

In the end, God will justify

He will resurrect