Drought

Implication – dry means

not wet

but does it also mean

no life?

Drought grips

tight

suffocating

exhausting

tenderising the spirit

with thump after thump

on and on

thump thump thump

pounding

soil to dust

smiles to tears

reason to despair

relentless

searing

day upon day

the opportunity cost of life

deposited in no-interest accounts

unreachable.

Yet somewhere between

Akubra and Blundstone

there is a glimmer

an inextinguishable flame

smouldering

which says

with a twitch of the lip

yep, she’s a bit dry

could do with a drop

about now.