A Room of My Own: Red, Rolling Flames Haiku

No More Fairy Tales, XLIV

the Prairies

mountain after mountain

of red , rolling flames

FYI: This could be read as a prequel to the following:

No More Fairy Tales, VI

tongues of forest fires 

there's no Plan[et] B, the rest

blah, blah, blah ...

NeverEnding Story, November 21 2022 

CBC News, June 7: Wildfires in the Prairies affecting air quality across Canada

Parts of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador were experiencing poor air quality and reduced visibility due to the wildfires, a situation expected to continue through Sunday.

The Watchers, June 7: Toronto recorded the worst air quality in the world on Friday, June 6, 2025, as wildfire smoke blanketed the city, prompting health warnings and disrupting daily life.

And CTV News, June 6: Montreal ranks 2nd for worst air quality in the world due to wildfires

Added:

alone

perched on this rocky peak

aided by my crutch

before the misty expanse

I murmur, so, is this it?

FYI: This tanka was inspired by German Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich's 1818 painting, "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog." For more about ekphrastic tanka, see To the Lighthouse: Ekphrastic Tanka

Added:

colorful blooms 

in my neighbor's garden

For Sale tilted

Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CXCIV: "drone swarm"

smoky rubble

after smoky rubble

a swarm of drones 

Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CXCV: "dead Gazan kids"

at Begin Gate

shouldertoshoulderprotesters

hold candles

and photos of dead Gazan kids ...

these eyes once warm with hope

FYI: Begin Gate is the entrance to Hakirya, the IDFs headquarters in central Tel Aviv 

"Israel's oldest daily now sanctioned by the Israeli government (ranking 112th/180 in 2025 Reporters Without Borders index), Haaretz," June 9 2025: It Looks Like a Memorial Day Ceremony: The Israelis Protesting With Photos of Dead Gazan Children

What started out as an improvisation is now a portrait gallery installation at the weekly Saturday night protest in Tel Aviv. As more and more Israelis are standing silently holding photos, names and details of Palestinian victims of the war in Gaza, organizers are certain: 'It is trickling down to people'

And June 10: Polled by Hebrew University's aChord Center, 64 percent of Israelis believe that the local media's reporting on Gaza has been balanced and there is no need to present a broader picture regarding the situation of Gaza's civilians. 

Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CXCVI: "a sack of flour"

thousands of Gazans

pressed against one another ....

in the dusty air

one man cries, do I have to pay 

with my life for a sack of flour?

FYI: Haaretz, June 11: 'It's a Disaster': Gazans Describe Chaos, Violence at Food Aid Distribution Sites