When one sits down to put pen to paper in an attempt to make sense of the despair and destruction left in the wake of fires such as have stuck the Los Angeles area, it is difficult not to envision a Phoenix. The Phoenix looms large, reshaping the world by its very presence: glowing, lifting, still burning with the fire’s passion that brought it into being. Born in fire and fated to spend its life returning to flames to be reborn and begin again, finding beauty and freedom even amongst the destruction and despair.