Bathe with me, dust-bellied brother,
along the banks at Theewaterskloof.
Lie with me—relax as though there
were infinite days remaining
until zero.
The skies cut loose tonight, sending
torrents toward the Cape Town plains;
we sang until my eyelids parted and thirst
stood heavy on my tongue.
Soon the ruddied lakebed will overtake
it all: cerulean coolness relenting to
craggy, sun-baked stillness.
Waves of water replaced by rolling
waves of silence, greater even than all
the oceans rising.
READ MORE
Drought-hit Cape Town dreads “Day Zero” when taps will run dry [Reuters]
Christopher Greer is an educator and writer who lives in Alpharetta, GA. His poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in The Blue Mountain Review, Canary, Visitant Lit, and other publications. He holds an MS from Purdue.
Image of Theewaterskloof Dam by Matt Harvey.
