For the Boy Standing Under the Drainpipe
He is wearing a fisherman’s raincoat
a floppy rainhat with a long back brim
or he is not he is the boy standing under
the drainpipe in the full gushing
waterfall his eyes are closed
his head lifted into the full flow
or they are open wide under the
protective brim of his hat watching
the heavy streams enfold him he is
the boy standing under the drainpipe
and I am the girl watching he is
always there in spite of teachers
principals trips to the office it
rains and he finds the way to where
water falls dirty from the roof muddy
water plays over him where he
stands with hands outstretched or
by his sides where he spins or stands
still or circles slowly it is all he hears
the gushing voice of water the staccato
notes on shoulder and chest it is
the flowing the streaming
the warm or icy notes
their embrace
Copyright Credit: Cheryl Savageau, "For the Boy Standing Under the Drainpipe" from Mother/Land. Copyright © 2006 by Cheryl Savageau. Reprinted by permission of Cheryl Savageau.
Source: Mother/Land (Salt Publishing, 2006)