I fought you, long ago
you had me
like gravity moving sideways
but let my flailing,
deluded body free, to go roaming
in the fields of my upright youth
I emerged from your feverish flow
believing I was victorious
(that and other necessary lies)
when,
in truth,
(if there be such a creature)
you released me
to steal and heal
and slay another day
now sixty plus one, or two
I see you
in my rear view
brown huddled masses
skulking across you
to reach hopeful higher ground
you tug on their feet, weakly
making a mockery of
your name
our history
and the day
we played tug of war
for my future
those who cross you
now fight other rivers
fear, hunger, and yearning
I
far from your banks
walk slower and remember
your once mighty power
I failed to defeat
and the treaty we signed
for my simple life
inspired by my recollection of swimming across this mighty river when I was 18--now, after years of drought, this river that forms the border between Texas and Mexico is but a trickle of what it once was