Nam Toomb (The Flood)

It starts imperceptibly, just
a line of shadow at the side
of the road, but within two hours,
it grows to bathtub-deep water.


It infiltrates between houses,
gerrymanders whole neighborhoods,
and consolidates puddle to puddle like
quick silver only to consolidate again.


An archipelago of assorted junk
dots the lawn, but in the evening,
when no one is looking, it, too, is gone.


In the morning, crawling traffic creates
long-tailed wakes that crash into wakes
of shaken drivers already given up,
already turning back.


In full flow, it lays siege to towns
stretching from horizon to horizon
like a medieval army on an unholy
crusade to make the world flat, again.


Inside a flooded room at noon, a cat
perches on a high wardrobe admiring
the stealth of the rising dark water below.


When water comes here, it comes to stay.


FG October 24, 2011
Ayutthaya and Chong Khae, Thailand

All rights reserved by the author Forrest Greenwood.