Photo: Joanna M. Hernandez
The Eaton Fire has severely tested the resilience of Altadena’s and Pasadena’s residents. The catastrophe has brought widespread destruction, loss, and heartbreak.
Joanna M. Hernandez, in her poem, looks for hope among the ashes.
Ash
As I catch flakes of white ash in my palm, I wonder:
Was this someone’s home, a place of warmth and belonging?
The door that opened to greet guests? The table where laughter was shared?
Were these the hopes and dreams toiled for, now scattered to the wind?
Is this the inheritance, crumbled to dust,
or the legacy of a life once lived, now a fleeting memory?
I hold this ash, not with sorrow, but with a quiet prayer:
May it nourish the earth, birthing something new:
New hope, a love running deeper,
Creatures of the soil, the water, the air,
A respect for the land that holds us all.
— Joanna M. Hernandez
Dr. Joanna M. Hernandez is a lover of poetry, an empath at heart, and a higher education professional who is dedicated to empowering others. She enjoys learning from others and has a deep appreciation of the Pasadena community. She recently earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership and did her dissertation on low-income single mothers who pursue four-year degrees at the University of California.
Local News Pasadena (LNP) publishes poems grounded in current news events from the greater Pasadena, California area. Submit your own poetry here.
