an unrehearsed universe

Drowning

Black rolling clouds announcing with thunder
the downpour over the horizon
with no umbrella to huddle under she hunched into her hoodie
her gaze drawn unwilling to the ground beneath her feet
water clung to grass shinmmering a lurid luscious green
soaked beyond bearing from last night

In faraway counties and faraway countries there was drought
corn and wheat withered in fields across the heartland
cows toppled from thirst
oxen and orphans black-eyed and bleak with death
milk four bucks a gallon fresh bread twice that again
this storm the answer to somewhere else’s prayers

Silver into grey into something black
rain battered the sidewalk overflowed the gutters
jealous of her sisters the storm had turned into a river
a mini mighty Mississippi spilling its banks
into her sneakers
squealing and squelching they proved no bulwark against the flood