Martin Booth
god discovers water
with ease
it dashed over his hands
cupping them
he caught it
sun echoed in it
it was hyaline
the task
to transport it back
was not so simple
he tried several times
it wormed through
his fingers
ran down his arm
escaped from his elbow
finally
he trapped it
he walked slowly
balancing his hands
awakening to its brittle
agility
on top of his mountain
he let it fall onto the dust
saw it soaked in
leave a darker ring
a tiny cratered scar
its loss saddened him
he placed his face in his hands
it was marred by sorrow
in his mind
he invented meanders
pipes canals aqueducts and oceans
a whole dismal plan unfurled
he discovered and improved upon the tap
he even varnished the sky with rain
on waking
his head sore
sun throbbing in him
he retraced his fumbled steps
in his absence
sun had dissolved every trick
he set off
on a tiresome pilgrimage
to find fire
that was his universal revenge
Page(s) 25-26
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