New construction everywhere
Paving over wild space
Leaving no place for rainwater to go
And then a hurricane arrives
Bringing floods and destruction
It howls through neighborhoods
Blowing and seething
Turning streets into rivers
Breaching curbs
Creeping into gardens
Creeping into homes
Finally, the hurricane passes
The winds die down
The rains abate
The streets drain
Soon we forget
We pave over more green space
And are surprised when the next storm
Washes us away
—
Mary Janicke is a writer living in Texas. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, Green Ink, Honeyguide, Blue Lake Review, and elsewhere.
