Walking through the woods
With a hand poised to grasp
Pulling all the green off all the trees
Storing in palms for later
For when the fresh air has been left behind
Where the walls are up, doors locked, windows shut
Where the taps have been left on
And the water is rising, not just like the tide
Ankle deep, making its way to calf level
We will sink like stones
Joining the ghosts at the bottom
While the water keeps flowing
Only the green will float
Ghosts of the Water is Elizabeth Lockwood's third book of poetry and illustrations. Her first two books of poetry, Waves of Stardust and Rain and Leaves, and her memoir, Little Something, are also available.
