The Drowned

A poem for America

Floodwaters, Arthur Greenberg, May 1973.

The Drowned

There is a scar on the river
healing itself, running again 
from the branch that is its source.

There is a willow bending 
to touch its own reflection.
There is a ferris wheel

turning forever in air.
There isn’t a body
kneeling in the current.

There isn’t a voice leaning 
on the river. There is the wind—
evidence of loss.

Before the drowned 
go down they stop struggling, 
and listen to their bodies. 

The world above the water 
is silent. They are free
to listen to the music 

of the body echoing 
inside before the silence
enters like a stone.

Donate Now

Please donate if you can to the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund in Texas, which supports relief and rebuilding efforts after the flood of July 4, 2025, by clicking below:

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TFP IS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE IOWA WRITERS COLLABORATIVE

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