Barbara Peckham | + Follow Poet |
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Drought

Blue skies and sun
    blue skies and sun
        blue skies and sun
 constant, only a few              
thin wispy clouds

and heat    	       heat		 heat   
sizzling, shimmering 
    on pavement

mirage of water
fooling the eye
          pulsing, radiating  
                    
drought 

parched, dusty soil
    	thirsting for life-giving water
             plant roots shrivel unseen

stalks and leaves wilt
         costly irrigation failing
to keep up
       with the heat         the heat
          
over-arching constant sun
       scorching     burning 
   crop yields shrinking
day by day, nothing to do
                          
           but hope

Copyright © Barbara Peckham | Year Posted 2024

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NJ Tomcatx Date: 5/23/2024 5:06:00 PM Very well-done: I like the somewhat fragmented formatting & repetition of "heat"--which supports the theme & mood of your poem. Login to Reply Barbara Peckham Date: 5/23/2024 5:45:00 PM Thank you so much for your considered comment. I really appreciate it. I only recently discovered effects on could have with this kind of phrasing on occasion.

Laura Leiser Date: 5/22/2024 8:00:00 PM Your placement of your phrases and repetition of words makes one feel the desperation of a drought, Barbara. Well done and I enjoyed this! :). Login to Reply Barbara Peckham Date: 5/23/2024 5:46:00 PM You are so kind. I am pleased that it resonated with you. The phrasing seemed to come that way. Thank you for your comments on that.