Don't Water Your Lawn

"What a waste"
limply holding the hose in his hands
he sighed
as Martha in her red dress yelled
"hurry up"

The sun was already high
and in a minute it would begin to burn.

"hurry up"
she watched the water drip

drip and spread
waiting for the revival of a green lawn.

Limply holding the hose in his hands
he raced with the sun-
"Martha," he said, "it's the god-damned desert-"
he felt his hands dry and crackle,

"there was never supposed to be any grass."