Poem By Suzanna C. de Baca
I walked to the old farm pond With a bent cane pole and a can of worms squirming in a handful of black dirt just like my grandpa used to do. I stood on the bank and cast my line but the fish floated to the surface white bellies facing the sun and I went hungry I climbed down a deep well carrying a battered wooden bucket And a dented tin dipper like my grandma used to have hanging next to the pump by the washhouse. But a murky odor overwhelmed me, the scent of foul sewer and rot and I went thirsty. I stood by the shallow sink and rolled up my sleeves to wash my hands. I picked up a smooth white bar of soap just a sliver that smelled like milk and ginger, the kind my mother used to use. But the tap ran rust, all orange and brown Like blood in the basin And I could not get clean. I am parched and dying, bone dry and scorched, staring at the arid river What will be left for my sons and daughters? What will be left to nourish the asters in my garden when I’m gone? Just a stagnant stream, a putrid pool. Nothing but dirty water.
Suzanna C. de Baca is a native Iowan, proud Latina, publisher, author, and artist who is passionate about exploring change, transformation, and life in the Heartland. She is an inaugural member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative, where she publishes poetry and personal essays. She lives in the small rural town of Huxley, Iowa, population 4244.
9 thoughts on “Bone Dry and Scorched”
I completely get your emotions here. We have similar worries.
Beautifully written!
Sometimes water is indeed life. And sometimes water is polluted and does not serve living things. Damn, DeBaca. You know how to spin a cautionary tale in the form of poem. “Bone Dry And Scorched” teaches us that water is valuable, not to spoilt.
Correction: Not to be spoilt.
Thank you, Dee Allen, I appreciate the comment. Water is indeed life.
Water everywhere is getting polluted these days. I have a river nearby that’s full of rubbish. Still, I can see people go fishing there. Your poem was written in a very clever way. Interesting and clear imageries. I love it.
Thank you so much for your comments, Kamisah. I appreciate it.
If only… Again your images are vivid and your message is as powerful as always.
PS I’ve learned to always have my hanky nearby when I read your work. I either weep with joy or anguish; many times with both.
Thanks so much, Mary. Xxoo
Great poem. As you probably know, Iowa is the only state in which cancer rates have been increasing. And our rivers and lakes are getting worse, not better.