recreating lush Midwest in dry West despite
a record fire season.
Is frivolous water use naïve or brazen?
Hasn't he heard the consequences of being
a water hog?
My side of the fence is brown and crunchy by July
but I survey it with pride knowing I have stewarded
my water well.
In fall, neighbor summons me suddenly,
"You like apples? My wife makes apple pie and such,"
gruffly handing me a bursting bag of fruit.
Like Joseph in Egypt before the famine, Neighbor Dave
has cultivated his crop all along to bless those around him,
gifting gorgeous apples like it's his calling —
to a naïve, judgmental neighbor.
— Ellen H.
