Neighborhood News

Neighborhood News


Mary’s goat has been rescued from the roof
and grazes in high parts of the pasture,
though the flood left lowlands still sogged with soak.
Her neighbor’s cow drowned in the barn,

hundreds of Iowa homes swept away or trashed,
and snakes are swimming in the basements.
But Mary’s out there, (game girl that she is),
helping the Mennonites fill sand bags.

The Mennonites call her “author lady”
and are happy for the help. The National Guard is out,
but most of them are in Iraq by now. Mary says,
“If you have an emergency, call the Mennonites.”

On the Left Coast we’ve had a cold spring
and our berry crop has failed, but the East Coast
sweltered and melted like tea cakes in the sun.
In Ohio, David and Vanessa had to pack up the babies

and head to the basement when a tornado
blew through, but the house is okay.
And 40,000 acres of California is burning
in 1,400 separate fires, with not enough water or people to fight.

The Feds cut ships for climate research
to save fuel, at the price of gas these days.
The headline named it Catch 22,
and noted they hadn’t yet named a ship The Irony.

Judith Roche