The small creek now holds only smooth round rocks
where once water flowed freely
and ducks floated easily
and fish swam just out of reach
of small boys with large hooks
at the end of their father’s poles.
All is hard and dry now.
The sun has birthed a hundred baby fires
that skitter like hot butter across the griddle of the city
and tease the yellow ripening fields to bloom into black skies.
Large lawn-mowing tractors rumble across fields
like dinosaurs patrolling their kingdom
leaving behind the sweet scent of grass and gasoline.
like dinosaurs patrolling their kingdomleaving behind the sweet scent of grass and gasoline.
All is hard and dry now.
Dragonflies, big as hummingbirds, circle
around the couple courting under the dark tree
And sharing exuberant kisses heard across the lawn.
Orange-vested maintenance workers
push wheelbarrows heaped with compost
as this person looks up into the white sun and remembers rain.
All is hard and dry now.
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