Teams Playing a Role in Helping a City That Was Aflame

by Ernie McCray

My heart continues
to bleed miserably
for the incredibly hapless residents
of Los Angeles
and I, particularly,
can’t imagine
how hard it must be
for the LA football teams,
the Chargers
and the Rams,
that had to board planes
to make it to NFL Playoff Games
while their beautiful city was aflame
due to a firestorm of a magnitude|
that’s almost impossible
for one to make sense of in his brain,

one with no time table

as to when it might be contained,

leaving behind,

wives and children

and family and friends,

practically going insane,

evacuating

and being displaced,

worrying about what lies ahead

as tears

gush from their faces

like the rains

they wish would fall

to lessen their pain.

But after the coin was tossed

and the games began,

one team,

the Chargers,

couldn’t come up with an offense

or handle the defense

they were up against,

utterly unable

to gain any amount of control

in the contest,

in the normal sense,

like the firefighters

back home

who early on,

for so long,

found themselves fighting a losing game –

and the other team,

the Rams,

in their game,

lead by coach Sean McVay,

resembled, in their play,

homes in the midst of all the destruction,

that emerged unscathed,

symbols of survival

and resilience,

hopefully giving some degree

of solace

no matter how small a scale that might be,

to some of the city’s citizenry

who, in their anxiety,

need any amount of relief

they can get

from the curse

that’s been imposed on them,

possibly with the assistance

of human hands.

And, as I think of the situation in this way,

I have the feeling that Jim Harbaugh,

the Charger’s headman,

known for turning teams around,

will make his gridironers more competent

in seasons to come,

in several significant ways,

giving the City of Angels,

as did the Rams, something to look up to,

as that symbolizes the kind of dedication

that will be necessary

for its recovery and rebuilding

in the many days ahead.

With that being said I can’t help but also say:

Que viva, Chargers!

Que viva, Rams!

Que Viva, LA!