on the wind

the santa ana winds
sent their cousins
up to oakland

i thought such
dry gusty days
were behind me
here in the east bay

clothes and hair
full of static
throat parched
lips peeling

didn’t want to
do anything but
be horizontal
and gulp water

i examine my hands
note how the lines
are more pronounced

i could have
moisturized more today
tried harder to hide
the signs of
how many windy fire seasons
i’ve lived through

the lines remind me of the
the home i left ten years ago
how long it’s taken to
learn to miss it

i have always imagined
myself drifting along
with the wind
when really
i’ve been chasing it
with a yearning
and two feet that
can’t help but sink
roots to ground and pause

no drifting now
no chasing

i keep my feet
planted on the earth
happy with only swaying