You skipped a day in grade school

And so you never learned about the Amazon basin

But you know other things about water

 

They don’t build low head dams anymore

The smooth concrete standing wave too attractive

For wanderers who fall to the turbulent current

 

The rotating drowned sometimes not found for days

And sometimes not found at all, they are recirculating,

Hidden, like the men lost in your reckless shadow

 

They just wanted enough water to run the Erie canal

The locks opening and closing

Like your heart when we had that halting conversation

 

The Providence dam spans the entire shallow river

And the large hydraulic forces are a known hazard

So many insouciant, not seeing the myriad gone under

 

We still want to lull about you, we drowned,

Hoping only memories are enough to keep us afloat

For just a few moments more.

 

©2017 eolon