artwork: ralph murre
Water Sign
by
Margaret Hasse
Two-year-old
Charlie loves water,
loves
the force of water
in
gutters, pipes, the second hose
bought
to keep peace between brothers
who
spray tomatoes with the intensity
of
fire fighters at a five alarm fire,
loves
the sources of water:
faucet,
penis, rain, spit.
He
longs like a pilgrim for wet places
where
his worship is
complete
submersion:
bathtub,
swim pool, lake.
To
praise water,
he
secludes himself in the bathroom.
Ascending
a stepping stool to the sink,
he
opens valves to an endless rush
of
new pressure in copper pipes.
So
much water, why not share it?
Give
it away until it seeps
through
the floorboards,
showers
into the kitchen,
fills
the bowls on the table,
flows
on the heads
of
his amazed mother and brother
who
do not immediately recognize
that
grace might descend like this –
inconveniently
–
from
a complete enthusiast
who
needs to be forgiven
for
being generous
with
whatever he loves.
~
previously published in Milk and Tides (Nodin Press)
