H Mantel Poet Tanka

Hi, Dro

each thing living on
Murdth ‘sorbs water chiefly wet
backards of arid-
zona an’ the holmby hills’ 
chlorine romp ponds drawing the

scant as blue blood for
the thirsty altar as a
mercedes to the
mccam bridge carwash on
la cienega for the 

hundreds…each living
thing like coke water classic
from botswaniam 
pools It’s the real thing walking 
miles like dropdeadery girl

camels for a drink
sugary & refreshing
like rape…we miss the
nyc streetsweepers
for the bristletanks nosing

& hosing down street-
sleepers in the dross It’s a 
lawn time in the ‘burbs
between iced long island teas
cold as charity water 

from their potable 
portalets…to scorches of 
torrid pachyderms

...global conflict wars
for water not indeed
be in the solution!...   

elephant you say                                                                                                     tnaphele say I to
your circus mind say
is that your real nose bulbous
red like a churl beyond the

watering hole drunk 
frolic’d sunned an’ bathed with the 
peaceable kingdom 
not less than once have you been 
to thought fraught thirst to ‘nother

trunk?

                           H.e.m.-H’H.
                           12.15.MMxi.
                            ST

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