she feels the dirt falling under her feet
and sees the mountainous clouds colliding
rolling
peaks and valleys just miles above her head
manic shouts of thunder alert thousands of birds
to take flight away from here
every dried blade of grass folds
and buries itself hurriedly beneath the soil
to the left and to the right, she is alone
frantic, she sprints to to to
the place in her mind that takes her
away away away
from a lonely world that moves much too quickly
The woman covered in sandstorm robes
bent slightly to pull rope and motivate her bucket skyward.
It took all the strength in her arms
and inspired an ache in her thigh.
She clenched her jaw and breathed in preparation for
one last exertion
and falling backward, the woman saw the vessel rise
and sway
and spill across stone, sand, and cloth
before diving again, invisible, into the well.
She remembered that when one wrestles deep water,
one should expect to make a right mess.
