The Straits of Tahquitz - March 18, 2026

if the ribbon of Tahquitz creek

was to suddenly be cutoff

the emerald fields of grass

would begin to wither

most rabbits slowly displaced

that coyote family downstream

would be forced to drink

from distant sprinkler puddles

and frogs would need to hold an

emergency meeting to choose

an emissary to go upstream to

negotiate an end to the blockade

which would simply be a plea

for the polliwogs, the children,

who will suffer the most and

die gasping in drying mud,

unless they let a trickle of water

pass through till they’re on their feet

and have a chance to hop away

and start a new life