With inner peace as the guide and criterion for all our actions, we transform our way of living into one genuinely capable of bringing lasting peace into a troubled world. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Dear Ancestors of the rainy North & South
thank you for understanding
that we must let go of your gift
of valuing the aesthetic
of green grass & other thirsty landscaping
even in, what are, natural deserts.

I’ve loved walking barefoot in the grass
also, playing Frisbee and having picnics.
I’ve faithfully watered, mowed, raked
trimmed, edged, and cared for the yard.

But I’m hearing the concerns of descendants
who will not know such abundance
of water and other resources.
Less rain now falls with climate changes.
They ask why was so much water used
when precious reservoirs ran dry?

Today I read that, despite the calls for conservation
with the drought, more water is being…