Day Eight

Thoughts on Drought

I had never considered the word
Drought
Even thought I am amongst those
Who currently live in that state.
Drought
A verb for us-
The ever active water cycle
Sucks the water from the surface
Creating precious moisture in the air
Except, it's not humid here
Drought
Has robbed us of even that.

Drought
It's the word I hear
Yet my mind wanders to the world of
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse-
That is a drought:
Elegant scenes of
Dust storms and playful dancing tumbleweeds.

Here, we dutifully turn off our taps
While brushing our teeth
And careful to flush only when necessary;
Reminding me of the sign
In the bathroom of my grandparent's lake house;
It seems to apply to the word
Drought:
In these isles of fun and sun
We never flush for number one.