The water ran down the hill
onto the street and down into the gutter
from the gutter to the creek
and under the bridge to the lake
They’d been on for days
even though it was raining
Feral cats grew hungry
Their food bowls filled with water
I wasn’t surprised when we heard the news
I saw the sprinklers in the rain
For two days they sprayed
I said nothing
The sprinklers eventually stopped
Her son came to check on her
She was in her 90s
Someone else feeds the cats now
The sale is pending
A new family
whose kids are excited about their new house
They’ll hang a swing out front
The little girl draws chalk pictures on the sidewalk
She swings under the tree
and plays in the green grass
The cats moved down the street
Do they know about the lady?
She was someone’s daughter, someone’s mom, someone’s grandmother
She was
The world has moved on
I met her once
She was nice to me
She met my wife once
She was mean to her
I saw the dad with his little girl
I wanted to ask if they knew what happened in their hallway
I didn’t
It was water under the bridge.
