The orange skies are unnerving, masks a traumatic déjà vu. Not too long ago we feared enclosed spaces, now we avoid the outdoors. As the air quality plummets, my heart aches for the vast boreal forests in my home country, which are being decimated by wildfires. After the blue skies return, I take a walk along the river, offering gratitude to the ducks and the herons, the chipmunks and the marmots, the bunnies and the deer. How many animals in Canada didn’t make it? The sweet scent of wildflowers reminds me to breathe. The “before” times are over.

A YEARs-LONG CREATIVE EXPLORATION OF THE CLIMATE THROUGH 100-WORD STORIES • WEEK 23