N a p a l m H e a l t h S p a : R e p o r t 2 0 0 8

SHIRA SEGAL

100 year flood

downpour angel streams of water

in your books, skateboard-soaked afternoon

of rain, of thunder, of tornado siren songs saying

are you done yet? is it time to go to india yet?

the wonders of indiana have not ceased--

crawfish in the field next to the lightning split tree

saying nothing to the purple pine cones drooping

and no one willing to swim naked

it's conservative

and all my students

think I'm their age

they say what was your gpa?

how many meals do you eat a day?

and you must drink a lot of water

there's a lot of water in the ground

the ants and toads are confused

and by the time I've learned to stop weeping

maybe it will finally feel quiet

June 9, 2008

96: I won't wake you up, you'll have to do it on your own

what's coming now--

am I waiting for something?

let the wind keep blowing

and the thunder thundering

roll together to make a stormy summer

it's not me

I'm just the observer

(an observer with her eyes closed)

because I can sense it and hear it and feel it

I hear the tattle I hear the tattle I hear the tattle

let it keep raining the time is disappearing

is it evening? evening morning day they all blend together

it rolls around and around it goes on and around

and that's the earth