Drought
By Nick Flittner
Published 1 January 2021
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.