Hurting, pounding, aching, head.
Visine & Tylenol, Visine & Tylenol, Visine & Tylenol,
Into the day,
And into the night.

Blue trees,
Yellow haze,
Choking children,
Relentless fatigue.
Such is life in the valley.

We are to be careful, thoughtful, and mindful enough to only lament for those few who are more likely to be sufficiently afflicted.
Lament only for the old, the young, and the weak.
There are two out of three chances, for the lucky, to join in.

Peppered lungs,
Sand papered eyes,
Smelling water,
Stinking air.
Such is life in the valley.

We worship the sun,
But pray for the rain.
We're asked to reduce personal activities that will contribute to the scene,
Yet, told to promote tourism, immigration, and air shows.

Bad smoke,
Good days,
Bottled water,
And Cancer.
This is life in the valley.

We hack out thick olive-green phlegm.
We take in the media's periodic, perennial, rain of mindless, dizzying, "Air Quality Index" chitchat.
We absorb the sun's extra goodness,
We understand the arsons are not over.

Clogged traffic arteries,
Invisible mountains,
Allowable limits of Particulate Matter 2.3,
And Asthma.
This is life in the valley?

We take Visine & Tylenol,
Visine & Tylenol,
Visine & Tylenol,
Until we can't take it anymore.