“Keeping the Wet”

When I see a wetland,
I see the clouds.
Lifting off the western desert,
Up and over
The crest of the continent.

When I see a wetland,
I see the snowflakes
Piling ever higher up on the Divide,
White on white,
Winter’s delight!

When I see a wetland,
I see the high country snow
Melting into rivulets,
Dancing down a steep mountainside,
Joining forces,
Making a river.

When I see a wetland,
I hear the teeming life,
The song, the chirp,
The quack, the honk
And the fluttering call
Of 20,000 Sandhill cranes,
Announcing the arrival of spring!

When I see a wetland,
I see the overflow of spring,
Or, more likely here, the dam,
The ditch, the water right,
And the irrigator with a shovel
Spreading the wet across the land.

When I see a wetland,
I see the meadow of red tipped rushes,
Where the ducks raise their broods,
The cows eat their fill,
And the rest is made into hay
When the sun shines.

When I see a wetland,
I see the river water,
Greening a narrow ribbon of life
Across this vast, dry country.
Holding the wet here, for a time;
The lifeblood for us all,
Whether legs, wings, or fins.

When I see a wetland,
I remember the regal bull elk
Coming for a drink
In the gray evening light.
Even the most majestic stag
Must bow his head
To water.

When I see a wetland,
I learn of the nature of beauty
That exists for its own sake,
A true and vital force
That gives our lives meaning.

When I see a wetland,
I see my friends and neighbors
Going to one more meeting!
Asking the hard questions,
Thinking ahead,
Making plans,
And making them happen.

When I see a wetland,
I see the power of community
That cares enough to try
To keep the wet,
To keep the land,
And give it to the future.

By Rio de la Vista