<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;"><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">Beneath the Surface</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">Beneath the surface</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">a firefighter reflects,</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">even cries.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">They did it — they didn’t let the fire</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">spread beyond 101.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">They were not going to repeat</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">what happened two years ago.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">They were not going to</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">let this one kill more people and</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">burn thousands of homes.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">Beneath the surface</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">even though 77,000 acres burned,</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">they succeeded.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">Beneath the surface</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">the new CEO of PG&E gets a</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">2.5 million dollar salary.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">What if <i class="">that</i> money went to</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">update equipment, poles,</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">put wires underground?</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">Beneath the surface we pay our </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">electric bill by flashlight.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">Beneath the surface</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">no matter how many households</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">had their electricity shut off</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">a single jumper on a tower broke</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">and set off a spark</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">that seems to have started it all.*</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">Beneath the surface</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">I’m exhausted from carrying around </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">all my valuables in and out of my car</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">for four days.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">Bad air still hurts my lungs,</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">I had to cancel my class and now</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">I’m in bed with a cold.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">I blew a fuse last night.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">Did they turn our power off again?</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">No, I still see light in the next room,</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">but how that thought sent panic</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">through my body.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">Above the surface</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">we’ll get past this one. </div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">Friends will help friends</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">and life will go on.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">But beneath the surface</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">we are living powerless to the wind,</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">in fear of flames</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">and always knowing what we will pack</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">the next time around. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div><div class="" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Sherrie Lovler</div></div></div></body></html>