riverbed

muddy banks with sparse strands of grass
the flicker of shadows in the river
life depended on the river
in these parts
sometimes it flooded
sometimes there were drownings
but when the drought came
there was nothing to be done
no sacrifice to the rain gods
no time for empty prayers
no irrigation from another source
the young boy stood 
dry dusty banks with no strands of grass
aged sediment tired in the riverbed
the elders had long left
he hadn’t
he cried
remembering his first catch from the river
his tears a much needed rain
for the riverbed