Drought

Visiting Lake Hefner during the fierce drought of 2011...

DROUGHT
By Terri Lynn Cummings


Sparkling blue water
Reflects shimmering light.
Day after day
Water dwindles from sight.

The fisherman walks
On red beaches of clay.
Heat drains the lake,
Waters stretch far away.

The natural shoreline
Is desolate land.
Tree limbs sag lifeless
Within a parched stand.

Leaves begin thinning
As if fall is here.
The fisherman’s shelter
Will soon disappear.

Locusts' harsh chimes
Replace sweet birdsong.
Grasshopper armies
Devour ivy’s throng.

Traffic hums crossly,
Air conditioners freeze.
The fisherman withers,
Awaiting a breeze.

Sails are locked out
Of shallow lake waters.
Boats perch on stilts,
Moorings’ new squatters.

Fish remain absent,
Bees do not drone.
Mosquitoes have left,
Cooler climates are known.

The fisherman leaves,
Summer’s play is for not.
Crushing, slick heat
Invades shady spot.

The sun faded sky
Sails ribboning clouds.
The angels’ highways
Remain burning shrouds.