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August 2010
He was sleeping in his bed when the waters rose.
She was fastening her sandals when the waters came.
They were preparing some rice when the waters rushed.
In a storm of mud and anger the waters roared.
Stream now river.
Field now river.
Path now river.
Road now river.
World now river.
Two rivers. Everything two rivers.
Rising by this door. Rushing past this window.
Roaring by these walls.
Island house!
Horizon house.
Rushing water house.
All of Pakistan a rushing roaring water wreckage river.
Two children in their nightgowns on a rooftop waving sheets
into the rushing roaring waters. Spots on a helicopter’s map.
Time for a commercial, a cartoon. The Dow is down. Weather
partly cloudy. Bacon sizzling in the pan. School bus chugging
down the road.
© Johnmichael Simon
2010
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