The rain coming down
has filled up the ditch
at the edge of the yard.
A little more and it will
swallow up the driveway
and separate us
from the world
by a little gulf
of brown rain water.
As a child I used to dig
moats around the castles
I built out of pinecones
and tin cans and pour
pailfuls of water into them.
They never held water:
drought thirsty Alabama dirt
sucked every drop down
and just left muddy damp divots
and I’m pretty sure the ditch
at the edge of the yard
will dry up just the same
but for the moment
I am alone with you
pretending this old house
is a castle overgrown with moss
and the drawbridge is up
so no one can disturb us.
