She is a taker

She is a giver

When her floodgates break

What sails the river

On the high ground

we watch from the banks

Make not a sound

as we offer our thanks

for rainsuits and sandbags

And seek forgiveness

for all our mistakes

We’ll still retreat

when that old levee breaks

What is washed away

returns with time

Like the criminal’s visit

to the scene of the crime